Urton History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Scotland

The history of the Urton family name begins after the Norman Conquest of 1066. They lived in Cumberland at Yrton, from whence they took their name.

Early Origins of the Urton family

The surname Urton was first found in Cumberland where they held a family seat as Lords of the Manor of Yrton (Irton.) The first on record was Richard of Yrton who is mentioned soon after the Norman Conquest in 1066 A.D. He was succeeded by Bertram d'Yrton, then Adam d'Yrton, a knight of St. Jerusalem, who attended Godfrey of Boulogne at the siege of Jerusalem. Adam slew a Saracen General during the siege, by lopping off his head. "The Manor of Irton has belonged also to the [family] almost from the time of the Conquest. " 1

Early History of the Urton family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Urton research. Another 123 words (9 lines of text) covering the years 1280, 1753 and 1820 are included under the topic Early Urton History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Urton Spelling Variations

Anglo-Norman names are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. When the Normans became the ruling people of England in the 11th century, they introduced a new language into a society where the main languages of Old and later Middle English had no definite spelling rules. These languages were more often spoken than written, so they blended freely with one another. Contributing to this mixing of tongues was the fact that medieval scribes spelled words according to sound, ensuring that a person's name would appear differently in nearly every document in which it was recorded. The name has been spelled Irton, Yrton, d'Yrton, Erton, Eyrton and others.

Early Notables of the Urton family

More information is included under the topic Early Urton Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Urton family

For many English families, the political and religious disarray that plagued their homeland made the frontiers of the New World an attractive prospect. Thousands migrated, aboard cramped disease-ridden ships. They arrived sick, poor, and hungry, but were welcomed in many cases with far greater opportunity than at home in England. Many of these hardy settlers went on to make important contributions to the emerging nations in which they landed. Among early immigrants bearing the name Urton or a variant listed above were: Thomas Irton who landed in North America in 1710.

The Urton Motto +

The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.

Motto: Semper constans et fidelis
Motto Translation: Always constant and faithful.

Citations +

Shirley, Evelyn Philip, The Noble and Gentle Men of England; The Arms and Descents. Westminster: John Bower Nichols and Sons, 1866, Print.