Coniston History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Scotland

Coniston is a name of ancient Norman origin. It arrived in England with the Norman Conquest of 1066. The Coniston family lived in Cambridgeshire, in the parish of Connington.

Early Origins of the Coniston family

The surname Coniston was first found in Cambridgeshire, at Conington, a parish, in the union of St. Ives, hundred of Papworth. "The lordship, together with the ancient castle, of which there are some vestiges in the village, was given by Canute to Turkill, a Danish lord, who, taking advantage of his residence among the East Angles, invited over Sueno to plunder the country.

After Turkill's departure it fell to Waldeof, Earl of Huntingdon, who married Judith, niece to the Conqueror, from whom it descended to the royal line of Scotland. " 1

Accordingly, the place name literally means "The king's manor, the royal estate," from the Old Scandinavian word "konunger" + the Old English word "tun." 2 It was listed twice in the Domesday Book of 1086, once as Coninctune and secondly as Cunitone. 3

One of the first on records was Richard Conyngton (d. 1330), Franciscan, who "studied at the university of Oxford, where he proceeded to the degree of doctor in theology. He must also have lived for some time on the continent, since a younger contemporary, the famous John Baconthorpe, says he was a pupil of Henry of Ghent. Conyngton was held in high repute as a schoolman." 4

Early History of the Coniston family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Coniston research. Another 98 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1086, 1273 and 1340 are included under the topic Early Coniston History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Coniston 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 Connington, Connigton, Conitone, Conyton, Coniton, Conintone and many more.

Early Notables of the Coniston family

More information is included under the topic Early Coniston Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Coniston migration to Canada +

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 Coniston or a variant listed above:

Coniston Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century

William Coniston, aged 25, who landed in Quebec in 1835

Citations +

Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
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