Asherton History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

The ancestry of the name Asherton dates from the ancient Anglo-Saxon culture of Britain. It comes from when the family lived in Atherton in the county of Lancashire.

The Adderson, Hetherston, Hetherston and other phonetic variants are thought to have originated in Adderstone, Northumberland, a township, in the parish of Bambrough, union of Belford. 1 This township has gone through many spellings through the ages including: 1233 Edredeston; 1234 Edreston; 1242 Hethereston; 1288 Edderston; 1346 Hetherston, 1428 Ederston and many more. Interesting, this is where the Scottish branch of the family hails. "John de Etherstone of Roxburghshire rendered homage in 1296 [to King Edward I of England] most probably derived his surname from Adderstone (in 1242 Hethereston, 1663 Etherston), near Bamburgh, Northumberland." 2

Early Origins of the Asherton family

The surname Asherton was first found in Lancashire at Atherton, a chapelry, in the parish and union of Leigh, hundred of West Derby or the aforementioned Adderstone, Northumberland. 1

Atherton "was held of the barons of Warrington by Robert de Atherton, in the reign of John; and in this knightly family the manor descended through many generations, successively allied to the Byrons, Warrens, Ashtons, Butlers, Catterals, Conyers, Irelands, and Bolds: by the marriage of the late Lord Lilford with the heiress of Atherton, the manor came to his lordship's family.

Atherton Hall, a superb edifice, built by the Atherton family in the early part of the 18th century, at an expense of about £63,000, was taken down in 1825." 1

Atterton, is a small hamlet, in the parish of Witherley, union of Atherstone, hundred of Sparkenhoe, in Leicestershire. 1

Other first records of the name include Robert de Atherton who was Sheriff of Lancashire in the year 1206. His son William de Atherton held a manor at Atherton of the Barons of Warington. Years later, Hugh de Atherton was listed in the Subsidy Rolls of that shire in 1332. 3

Henry de Athertone was listed in the Subsidy Rolls of Lancashire in 1332 and later, William de Atherton was listed there in 1384. Over in Cheshire, Humphrey Addertone alias Athurton was listed in 1470. 4

Early History of the Asherton family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Asherton research. Another 88 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1598, 1628, 1634, 1635, 1636, 1640, 1671 and 1721 are included under the topic Early Asherton History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Asherton Spelling Variations

Spelling variations in names were a common occurrence before English spelling was standardized a few hundred years ago. In the Middle Ages, even the literate spelled their names differently as the English language incorporated elements of French, Latin, and other European languages. Many variations of the name Asherton have been found, including Atherton, Atheron, Hetherston, Adderstone and many more.

Early Notables of the Asherton family

Distinguished members of the family include John Atherton (1598-1640), English-born Anglican Bishop of Waterford and Lismore in the Church of Ireland. He and his steward and tithe proctor John Childe were both tried and executed for buggery in 1640. He "is believed to have been born at Bawdripp, in Somersetshire, in 1598, where his father. Reverend John Atherton (a canon of St. Paul's), was rector of the parish. In 1635 he became chancellor of Christ Church, and held also the rectories of Killaban and Ballintubride, in the diocese of Leighlin. He was chancellor of Killaloe in 1634. His highest promotion was...
Another 165 words (12 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Asherton Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Asherton family

Families began migrating abroad in enormous numbers because of the political and religious discontent in England. Often faced with persecution and starvation in England, the possibilities of the New World attracted many English people. Although the ocean trips took many lives, those who did get to North America were instrumental in building the necessary groundwork for what would become for new powerful nations. Some of the first immigrants to cross the Atlantic and come to North America bore the name Asherton, or a variant listed above: Humphrey Atherton of Preston Lancashire who settled in 1638 in Cambridge, Massachusetts and joined the army and eventually became a Major General. James Atherton settled in New England in 1620. Peter Atheron settled in Virginia in 1663..

Contemporary Notables of the name Asherton (post 1700) +

Darren Asherton Byfield (b. 1976), English professional footballer

Citations +

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)
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)