Charleton History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Wales
Ireland

From the ancient Celtic culture that existed in Wales came the surname Charleton. The first bearers of this name adopted it when they lived in any of such places as Carlton in Bedfordshire, Cambridge, Durham, Lincolnshire, Leicestershire, Nottinghamshire, Northumberland, Suffolk, or the East Riding of Yorkshire, or in one of the places called Carleton in Cumberland Lancashire, Norfolk, or the West Riding of Yorkshire. One of the reasons for the numerous entries of the place name is that the name literally means "farmstead or estate of the freemen" 1

Early Origins of the Charleton family

The surname Charleton was first found in Herefordshire, but one family was found at Whitton in Shropshire in early times. "Here is a farmhouse formerly a seat of the Charltons, where James II. visited: a chamber in it contains some superior tapestry of that period." 2

Early History of the Charleton family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Charleton research. Another 124 words (9 lines of text) covering the years 1100, 1268, 1300, 1336, 1353, 1360, 1361, 1362, 1369, 1374, 1401, 1559, 1560, 1562, 1573, 1599, 1601, 1605, 1618, 1619, 1628, 1632, 1638, 1642, 1654, 1660, 1661, 1672, 1673, 1678, 1679, 1685 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Charleton History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Charleton Spelling Variations

Welsh surnames are relatively few in number, but they have an inordinately large number of spelling variations. There are many factors that explain the preponderance of Welsh variants, but the earliest is found during the Middle Ages when Welsh surnames came into use. Therefore, scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded, which often resulted in a single person's name being inconsistently recorded over his lifetime. The transliteration of Welsh names into English also accounts for many of the spelling variations: the unique Brythonic Celtic language of the Welsh had many sounds the English language was incapable of accurately reproducing. It was also common for members of a same surname to change their names slightly, in order to signify a branch loyalty within the family, a religious adherence, or even patriotic affiliations. For all of these reasons, the many spelling variations of particular Welsh names are very important. The surname Charleton has occasionally been spelled Carleton, Carlton, Charleton, Charlton and others.

Early Notables of the Charleton family

Prominent amongst the family during the late Middle Ages was

John Charleton, (1268-1353), 1st Baron Cherleton, 1st Lord Charlton of Powys, British baron
John Charleton, (c. 1300-1360), 2nd Baron Cherleton, 2nd Lord Charlton of Powys, British baron
John Charleton, (c. 1336-1374), 3rd Baron Cherleton, 3rd Lord Charlton of Powys, British baron
John Charleton (Cherleton or Charlton), (1362-1401), 4th Baron Cherleton, 4th Lord Charlton of Powys
Lewis de Charleton (or Lewis Charlton, Lewes de Cherlton) (died 1369), Bishop of Hereford (1361-1369)

Migration of the Charleton family to Ireland

Some of the Charleton family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 141 words (10 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Charleton migration to Canada +

In the 1800s and 1900s, many Welsh families left for North America, in search of land, work, and freedom. Those who made the trip successfully helped contribute to the growth of industry, commerce, and the cultural heritage of both Canada and the United States. In the immigration and passenger lists were a number of people bearing the name Charleton

Charleton Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century

Bridget Charleton, aged 4, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick aboard the ship "Edward Reid" in 1833
Thomas Charleton, aged 1, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick aboard the ship "Edward Reid" in 1833

Charleton migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Charleton Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

John Charleton Mr. settled in New South Wales, Australia in 1823 3
Mr. William Charleton, (b. 1817), aged 15 who was convicted in Edinburgh, Scotland for 7 years for house breaking, transported aboard the "England"on 31st March 1832, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 4
Robert Charleton, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Santipore" in 1850 5

Contemporary Notables of the name Charleton (post 1700) +

Elmer Lee "Buddy" Charleton (1938-2011), American country musician and teacher, best known for his work as a pedal steel guitarist in Ernest Tubb's Texas Troubadours band
Maggie Charleton, American Democratic Party politician, Candidate for Texas State Board of Education 9th District, 2006 6
Peter Charleton (b. 1956), Irish judge of the Supreme Court of Ireland
Brent Charleton (b. 1982), Canadian-born, New Zealand professional basketball player
Rice Charleton (1710-1789), English physician, medical researcher, and Fellow of the Royal Society
Henry Charles Charleton (1870-1959), British train driver, trade unionist and Labour Party politician who sat in the House of Commons from 1922 to 1931 and from 1935 to 1945
Robert Charleton (1809-1872), Quaker manufacturer and philanthropist in Bristol
Charleton Hunt (1801-1836), American politician, Mayor of Lexington, Kentucky, 1832-34 7

Citations +

Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 14th September 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/earl-st-vincent
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 26th April 2022). https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/england
State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) SANTIPORE 1850. Retrieved http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1850Santipore.gif
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, December 1) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, November 10) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html