Alltent History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland
Scotland

The name Alltent was brought to England in the great wave of migration following the Norman Conquest of 1066. The Alltent family lived in Nottinghamshire and Staffordshire, where they held lands and estates for many years. They were granted these lands by William the Conqueror for their efforts at the Norman Conquest in 1066. The name is habitational in derivation, and comes from the Old English awiell, which means spring, and tun, which means enclosure or settlement.

Early Origins of the Alltent family

The surname Alltent was first found in Northumberland, Staffordshire, and Lancashire. Of the latter, we found more records than the other branches. At first, the family held estates at Bispham, a village within the borough of Blackpool as far back as the 14th century. Roger Dalton had thirteen children by four wives. This branch also held estates at Thurnham, again in Lancashire.

The Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 had two listings for the family, both in Northumberland: Henry de Dalton; and William de Dalton. 1

Of note was Lawrence Dalton who died in 1561 and was an officer of arms at the College of Arms in London. "He entered the College of Arms as Calais pursuivant extraordinary, became Rouge Croix pursuivant in 1546, Richmond herald in 1547, and Norroy king of arms by patent 6 Sept. 1557, though his creation as Norroy by Queen Mary at Somerset Place was postponed till 9 Dec. 1558." 2

"The manor was subsequently held by Thomas Lonne, citizen and grocer of London, who, in the reign of Philip and Mary, sold it to the Daltons, of Bispham, which family continues to possess nearly the whole township." 3

Some of the family were found in Scotland where they were "doubtless from Dalton in Northumberland. Mention was made c. 1315 of certain lands in Roxburgh, Kerton, etc., which had belonged to quondam William de Dalton (RSM., I, 14). William de Dalton was bailie of Aberdeen in 1368, Helisei de Dalton was a bailie there, 1396, and Thomas Dalton was admitted burgess of the town in 1409. " 4

Early History of the Alltent family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Alltent research. Another 81 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1190, 1284, 1648, 1705, 1709, 1712, 1763, 1792, 1814, 1867 and 1874 are included under the topic Early Alltent History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Alltent Spelling Variations

Endless spelling variations are a prevailing characteristic of Norman surnames. Old and Middle English lacked any definite spelling rules, and the introduction of Norman French added an unfamiliar ingredient to the English linguistic stew. French and Latin, the languages of the court, also influenced spellings. Finally, Medieval scribes generally spelled words according to how they sounded, so one person was often referred to by different spellings in different documents. The name has been spelled Alton, Allton, Allten, Alten, Altoun, Althoun, Althan, Althaun, Aulton, Dalton and many more.

Early Notables of the Alltent family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was Michael Dalton (d. 1648?), English author of two legal works of high repute in the seventeenth century, the son of Thomas Dalton...
Another 29 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Alltent Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Alltent family to Ireland

Some of the Alltent family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 104 words (7 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Alltent family

To escape the political and religious persecution within England at the time, many English families left for the various British colonies abroad. The voyage was extremely difficult, though, and the cramped, dank ships caused many to arrive in the New World diseased and starving. But for those who made it, the trip was most often worth it. Many of the families who arrived went on to make valuable contributions to the emerging nations of Canada and the United States. An inquiry into the early roots of North American families reveals a number of immigrants bearing the name Alltent or a variant listed above: Alexander, Anthony, James and Richard Alton all arrived in Philadelphia between 1850 and 1860.

Citations +

Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print
Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
Black, George F., The Surnames of Scotland Their Origin, Meaning and History. New York: New York Public Library, 1946. Print. (ISBN 0-87104-172-3)