First found in Lincolnshire where they were anciently seated as Lords of the Manor, some say at the time of the Norman Conquest of England in the year 1066 A.D.

Thousands of English families boarded ships sailing to the New World in the hope of escaping the unrest found in England at this time. Although the search for opportunity and freedom from persecution abroad took the lives of many because of the cramped conditions and unsanitary nature of the vessels, the opportunity perceived in the growing colonies of North America beckoned. Many of the settlers who survived the journey went on to make important contributions to the transplanted cultures of their adopted countries. The Winnett were among these contributors, for they have been located in early North American records: Robert, Deane, John and Elizabeth Winthrop who settled in Boston Massachusetts in 1635 and they were related to the Governor or one of his brothers; William Winthrip settled in Virginia in 1663.

Motto Translated: An anagram of John Winthrop.

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