Eggerton History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

The Anglo-Saxon name Eggerton comes from the family having resided in Egerton, in the county of Cheshire. It is now called Egerton Green. The place-name is derived from the Old English personal name Ecghere and tun, a word which meant enclosure, farm, or settlement, and later came to mean fort, and then town. The name would translate as farm belonging to Ecghere.

Early Origins of the Eggerton family

The surname Eggerton was first found in Cheshire at Egerton Green which dates back to 1259 when it was listed as Eggerton. The place name literally meant "farmstead of a man called Ecghere," from the Old English personal name + "tun." 1 The suffix "green" was added in the 18th century.

There is another local named Egerton or Egerton (St James) in Kent, a parish, in the union of West Ashford, hundred of Calehill. In this latter case, this place dates back to c.1100 when it was listed as Eardingtun and later as Egarditon in 1203. 1

Some of the family were found in ancient times at Tatton, a township, in the parish of Rosthern, union of Altrincham, hundred of Bucklow. "The seat of the Egertons of Tatton is here. Tatton Park is one of the largest parks in England, and contains from six to seven hundred head of deer. The Egerton family are owners of the entire township." 2

"By the sea side [in Wallasey, Cheshire] is an ancient mansion denominated Mockbeggar Hall, or more properly, Leasowe Castle, formerly a seat of the Egertons." 2

"Worsley Hall [in Worsley, Yorkshire], the seat of the Earl of Ellesmere, is a stately modern structure with an elegant portico, erected on an elevated site which overlooks the park-like grounds, and commands a view into seven counties. The old Hall, seated at the northern extremity of the gardens of the present mansion, was successively the residence of the Worsleys, Masseys, Stanleys, Breretons, and Egertons." 2

Early History of the Eggerton family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Eggerton research. Another 138 words (10 lines of text) covering the years 1555, 1579, 1617, 1621, 1623, 1626, 1646, 1649, 1654, 1660, 1663, 1673, 1676, 1681, 1685, 1686, 1687, 1695, 1701, 1711, 1717, 1720, 1723, 1744 and 1746 are included under the topic Early Eggerton History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Eggerton Spelling Variations

Eggerton has been spelled many different ways. Before English spelling became standardized over the last few hundred years, spelling variations in names were a common occurrence. As the English language changed in the Middle Ages, absorbing pieces of Latin and French, as well as other languages, the spelling of people's names also changed considerably, even over a single lifetime. Spelling variants included: Egerton, Edgeton, Edgerton and others.

Early Notables of the Eggerton family

Notables of this surname at this time include: Stephen Egerton (c. 1555-1621), an English priest, born in London, he was a leading Puritan preacher of his time; John Egerton, 1st Earl of Bridgewater KB, PC (1579-1649), an English peer and politician; John Egerton, 2nd Earl of Bridgewater PC (1623-1686), an English nobleman, Lord Lieutenant of Buckinghamshire (1660-1686), Lord Lieutenant of Cheshire and Lancashire (1673-1676); Elizabeth Egerton (née Cavendish), Countess of...
Another 69 words (5 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Eggerton Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Eggerton migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Eggerton Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Mr. Isaac Eggerton, British settler referred to as the Parkhurst Boys travelling from London aboard the ship "Mandarin" arriving in Auckland, New Zealand on 14th November 1843, he had been taught trades and pardoned to live in New Zealand 3

The Eggerton 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: Virtute non armis fido
Motto Translation: I trust in virtue not arms

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.
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 17th October 2018). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html