Cleygate History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

The origins of the Cleygate name lie with England's ancient Anglo-Saxon culture. It comes from when the family lived in the village of Clegett or Clegett Hall, in the parish of Rochdale, Kent. The surname is derived from the Old Norse word which means a haystack-shaped hill. The surname also has an occupational origin, which means that it is derived form the trade or profession of the original bearer. The name was also given to those who worked as bellringers.

Cleygate, a manor, in the parish of Thames Ditton, Second division of the hundred of Kingston, union of Kingston, in the East division of Surrey may be a point of origin for the family. 1 "It was given to the convent of Westminster by Tosti, probably the son of Earl Godwin, and the grant was confirmed by Edward the Confessor. The Domesday Survey records that "Claigate" was then still held by the monks, and the lands continued in their possession until the Dissolution. " 2

Early Origins of the Cleygate family

The surname Cleygate was first found in Kent, at Claygate Cross, a hamlet in the Sevenoaks District. The first record was that ot Roger de la Caligate was was listed here in the Feet of Fines for 1198. Robert Cleygate was listed in 1215 and Glibert ate Claygate was listed in the Assize Rolls for 1317. 3

Alternatively, the name could have been derived from Claygate, a village in Surrey 1 4 that dates back to the Domesday Book of 1086 where it was first listed as Claigate, a manor of the village Thames Ditton. 5 The main manor of the village was held by Westminster Abbey. This is indeed a rare name as most of the records are quite late in the 17th and 18th centuries - little was found earlier.

Early History of the Cleygate family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Cleygate research. Another 103 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1198, 1215, 1317, 1610, 1628, 1634, 1636, 1644, 1646, 1654, 1660, 1663, 1671, 1681, 1688, 1716, 1721, 1727, 1746, 1756, 1766, 1776, 1788 and 1791 are included under the topic Early Cleygate History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Cleygate Spelling Variations

Before the last few hundred years, the English language had no fast system of spelling rules. For that reason, spelling variations are commonly found in early Anglo-Saxon surnames. Over the years, many variations of the name Cleygate were recorded, including Clagett, Claggitt, Clegget, Cleggett, Cleygate, Claygate, Clackett, Claigate, Cleget, Claggett, Claggot and many more.

Early Notables of the Cleygate family

Distinguished members of the family include Nicholas Clagett the Elder (1610?-1663), English Puritan divine, born at Canterbury about 1610 and in 1628 was entered as a student of Merton College, Oxford, where he proceeded B.A. in October 1681. "Afterwards he migrated to Magdalen Hall, and commenced M.A. in June 1634, being then generally esteemed a very able moderator in philosophy. About 1636 he became vicar of Melbourne, Derbyshire, and about 1644 he was chosen lecturer or preacher at St. Mary's Church, Bury St. Edmunds, Suffolk." 6His son, Nicholas Clagett the Younger (1654-1727), was an English controversialist. "He was baptised 20 May...
Another 264 words (19 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Cleygate Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Cleygate family

To escape oppression and starvation at that time, many English families left for the "open frontiers" of the New World with all its perceived opportunities. In droves people migrated to the many British colonies, those in North America in particular, paying high rates for passages in cramped, unsafe ships. Although many of the settlers did not make the long passage alive, those who did see the shores of North America perceived great opportunities before them. Many of the families that came from England went on to make essential contributions to the emerging nations of Canada and the United States. Research into various historical records revealed some of first members of the Cleygate family emigrate to North America: Thomas Clagett who arrived in Maryland in 1670 and Thomas John Clagett in Maryland in 1767.

Citations +

Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
Smith, Eldson Coles, New Dictionary of American Family Names New York: Harper & Row, 1956. Print
Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print