Elforthay History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

The ancient history of the Elforthay name begins with the ancient Anglo-Saxon tribes of Britain. The name is derived from when the family resided in a region called Elford in the county of Northumberland and in Staffordshire. The surname Elforthay is a topographic surname, which was given to a person who resided near a physical feature such as a hill, stream, church, or type of tree. Habitation names form the other broad category of surnames that were derived from place-names. They were derived from pre-existing names for towns, villages, parishes, or farmsteads. Other local names are derived from the names of houses, manors, estates, regions, and entire counties. As a general rule, the greater the distance between an individual and their homeland, the larger the territory they were named after.

Early Origins of the Elforthay family

The surname Elforthay was first found in Northumberland at Elford, which dates back to at least 1256 when it was listed as Eleford and had two possible origins: having derived from the Old English personal name Ella or Ellen + ford as in "ford of a man called Ella"; and "ford where elder-trees grow." 1 2

Elford is also a village and civil parish in Lichfield District of Staffordshire that dates back to 1002 when it was listed as Elleford and later was listed in the Domesday Book of 1086 as Eleford. 3

While this latter village is older, the Northumberland village is where the first records of the name were found.

Early records of the family were also found in Kent, where William de Elleford was listed in the Pipe Rolls for 1195. Years later, Thomas de Eleford was found in the Feet of Fines for Oxfordshire in 1291 and later again, Thomas Elleford was listed in the Feet of Fines for Warwickshire 1410-1411. 4

Sheepstor, Devon "was the ancient home of the Elfords, and one of these, a staunch Royalist, is said to have found refuge from his enemies in a cavity amidst the confused heap or 'clatter ' of detached rocks that clothes the precipitous side of Sheepstor Hill, and possibly named it Schittis or Schattis Tor the older form from its shattered aspect. The cavity is now commonly called the Pixies' Hole. Elford is said to have employed his time in painting its rocky sides, but of this there is no trace." 5

Early History of the Elforthay family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Elforthay research. Another 128 words (9 lines of text) covering the years 1677, 1703, 1706, 1714, 1720, 1733, 1749, 1796, 1797, 1798, 1800, 1806, 1807, 1808, 1833 and 1837 are included under the topic Early Elforthay History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Elforthay Spelling Variations

Until quite recently, the English language has lacked a definite system of spelling rules. Consequently, Anglo-Saxon surnames are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. Changes in Anglo-Saxon names were influenced by the evolution of the English language, as it incorporated elements of French, Latin, and other languages. Although Medieval scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded, so it is common to find one person referred to by several different spellings of his surname, even the most literate people varied the spelling of their own names. Variations of the name Elforthay include Elford, Elfords, Elfford, Elffords and others.

Early Notables of the Elforthay family

Distinguished members of the family include Richard Elford (1677?-1714) English singer, lay vicar at St Paul's Cathedral and Westminster Abbey, he sang before Queen Anne at St. James's Palace on her birthday in 1703. He "became famous in London as a singer of sacred music at the beginning of the seventeenth century. In his youth he belonged to the choirs of Lincoln and Durham cathedrals, and came to London to display his fine counter-tenor on the stage. His success at the theatres was small, owing to his awkward and ungainly appearance. Elford was also admired in profane music; he was chosen...
Another 434 words (31 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Elforthay Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Elforthay family

Searching for a better life, many English families migrated to British colonies. Unfortunately, the majority of them traveled under extremely harsh conditions: overcrowding on the ships caused the majority of the immigrants to arrive diseased, famished, and destitute from the long journey across the ocean. For those families that arrived safely, modest prosperity was attainable, and many went on to make invaluable contributions to the development of the cultures of the new colonies. Research into the origins of individual families in North America revealed records of the immigration of a number of people bearing the name Elforthay or a variant listed above: John Elford, who arrived in Salem, Massachusetts in 1628; Richard Elford, who came to Jamaica in 1657; James Elford, who arrived in America in 1685; another James Elford who settled in St. John's, Newfoundland, in 1757.

The Elforthay 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: Difficilia quae pulchra
Motto Translation: Beautiful things are difficult.

Citations +

Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
Worth, R.N., A History of Devonshire London: Elliot Stock, 62, Paternoster Row, E.G., 1895. Digital