Edmonston History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Scotland
Ireland
England

The ancestors of the families to use the name Edmonston lived among the Boernicians of the Scottish/English Borderlands. The name comes from the personal name Edmond. Edmonston is a patronymic surname, which belongs to the category of hereditary surnames. Many patronyms were formed by a son using his father's personal name as a surname. Others were taken from the names of important religious and secular figures. Members of the Edmonston family settled in Scotland, just following the Norman Conquest of England, in 1066.

Early Origins of the Edmonston family

The surname Edmonston was first found in Edinburghshire, a former county, now part of the Midlothian council area where they held a family seat from very early times and were granted lands by Queen Margaret of Scotland. They take their name from the place name Edmondstone, the tun of Eadmund, near Edinburgh. The name may have been derived from Aedmund filius Forn, one of the witnesses to a charter by Thor filius Swani (c. 1150)1

Early History of the Edmonston family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Edmonston research. Another 163 words (12 lines of text) covering the years 1070, 1560, 1607, 1622, 1627, 1640, 1654, 1659 and 1712 are included under the topic Early Edmonston History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Edmonston Spelling Variations

Before the printing press and the first dictionaries appeared, names and other words were often spelled differently every time they were written. Edmonston has appeared under the variations Edmondson, Edmonson, Edminson, Edminston, Edmiston, Edmeston, Edmondon and many more.

Early Notables of the Edmonston family

Notable among the family at this time was Henry Edmondson (1607-1659), an English schoolmaster, entered Queen's College, Oxford in 1622 aged 15. William Edmundson (1627-1712), was an English Quaker whose father was a wealthy yeoman, was born...
Another 36 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Edmonston Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Edmonston family to Ireland

Some of the Edmonston family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 91 words (6 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Edmonston migration to the United States +

The Scots who crossed the Atlantic were often on the run from poverty as well as persecution. They brought little with them, and often had nothing of their home country to hand down to their children. In the 20th century, Clan societies and other patriotic Scottish organizations have helped the ancestors of Boernician Scots to recover their lost national legacy. Many of those families went on to make significant contributions to the rapidly developing colonies in which they settled. Early North American records indicate many people bearing the name Edmonston were among those contributors:

Edmonston Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Alexander J. Edmonston, aged 24, who arrived in New York in 1894 aboard the ship "State of California" from Glasgow via Moville 2
Mrs. Alexander J. Edmonston, aged 23, who arrived in New York in 1894 aboard the ship "State of California" from Glasgow via Moville 2

Edmonston Settlers in United States in the 20th Century

John Kennedy Edmonston, aged 19, who arrived in New York in 1920 from Glasgow, Scotland 2

Contemporary Notables of the name Edmonston (post 1700) +

Samuel Sherwood Edmonston (1883-1979), American Major League Baseball pitcher who played for the Washington Senators in 1907
Benjamin Rose Edmonston (1807-1855), American politician, Member of Indiana State House of Representatives, 1835-36, 1839-40, 1842-44, 1848-49; Member of Indiana State Senate, 1844-47 3
Bazil Brook Edmonston Jr. (1803-1888), American politician, Member of Indiana State House of Representatives, 1867 3
Louis-Phillip "Phil" Edmonston (b. 1944), American-born, Canadian consumer advocate, writer and politician, Member of Parliament for Chambly, Quebec (1990-1993), best known for his series of annual Lemon-Aid car guides, founder of the Automobile Protection Association (APA)

The Edmonston Motto +

The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.

Motto: Virtus auget honorem
Motto Translation: Virtue increases honour.

Citations +

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)
Ellis Island Search retrieved 15th November 2022. Retrieved from https://heritage.statueofliberty.org/passenger-result
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, October 19) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html