|
![Show Contents]() Cacstone History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
- Origins Available:
 England
The name Cacstone reached English shores for the first time with the ancestors of the Cacstone family as they migrated following the Norman Conquest of 1066. The Cacstone family lived in Cambridgeshire, at Caxton, a market-town and parish, in the union of Caxton and Arrington, hundred of Longstow. "This place, which is one of the oldest post-towns in the county, is situated on the Roman Ermin-street: the buildings are in general irregular and of mean appearance, consisting principally of poor cottages and decayed inns, though there are a few good houses. It has been stated, also, that Caxton, who introduced the art of printing into England, was born in the parish; but his own memoirs refer his birth and education to the county of Kent." 1 Interestingly, the parish dates back to the Domesday Book of 1086, when it was first listed as Causton(e.) 2 And in more recent times, Causton is the fictional site for much of the crime-novel series by author Caroline Graham entitled 'Midsomer Murders.' Early Origins of the Cacstone familyThe surname Cacstone was first found in Cambridgeshire at Caxton, a market-town and parish, in the union of Caxton and Arrington, hundred of Longstow. "This place, which is one of the oldest post-towns in the county, is situated on the Roman Ermin-street: the buildings are in general irregular and of mean appearance, consisting principally of poor cottages and decayed inns, though there are a few good houses. It has been stated, also, that Caxton, who introduced the art of printing into England, was born in the parish; but his own memoirs refer his birth and education to the county of Kent." 1 The Manor of Caustone was held by Hardwin of Scales in 1086, from whom the Caxtons are conjecturally descended. 2 The village of Causton, or Caxton, is on Roman Ermine Street and was once a coaching village. Early History of the Cacstone familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Cacstone research. Another 232 words (17 lines of text) covering the years 1086, 1273, 1335, 1354, 1400, 1422, 1474, 1478, 1491, 1500 and 1880 are included under the topic Early Cacstone History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Cacstone Spelling VariationsAnglo-Norman names tend to be marked by an enormous number of spelling variations. This is largely due to the fact that Old and Middle English lacked any spelling rules when Norman French was introduced in the 11th century. The languages of the English courts at that time were French and Latin. These various languages mixed quite freely in the evolving social milieu. The final element of this mix is that medieval scribes spelled words according to their sounds rather than any definite rules, so a name was often spelled in as many different ways as the number of documents it appeared in. The name was spelled Caxton, Caxtone, Cackston, Cackstone, Cacstone, Caxten, Caxtan and many more. Early Notables of the Cacstone familyOutstanding amongst the family at this time was William Caxton (1422-1491), the first English printer and first to introduce a printing press into England. Copies of his Canterbury Tales by Chaucer is kept in the British Library and the text is viewable online. He "was born, he himself states, ‘in Kent in the Weeld’. The name was usually pronounced Cauxton, and often written Causton, and Kentish antiquaries connect Caxton's family with the Caustons or Caxtons who held a manor of the same name near Hadlow in the Weald of Kent in the thirteenth century. Before the fifteenth century the manor had...
Another 150 words (11 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Cacstone Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Migration of the Cacstone familyBecause of the political and religious discontent in England, families began to migrate abroad in enormous numbers. Faced with persecution and starvation at home, the open frontiers and generally less oppressive social environment of the New World seemed tantalizing indeed to many English people. The trip was difficult, and not all made it unscathed, but many of those who did get to Canada and the United States made important contributions to the young nations in which they settled. Some of the first North American settlers with Cacstone name or one of its variants: Bryan Caxton, who settled in Maryland in 1678.
- Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
- Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
|
