Fountains History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

When the ancestors of the Fountains family emigrated to England following the Norman Conquest in 1066 they brought their family name with them. They lived near a spring or well which was in turn derived from the Old French word fontane, which means spring or well. Fountains is a topographic surname, which is a type of surname that was given to a person who resided near a landmark such as a hill, stream, church, or type of tree.

John Pherd (died 1225), Bishop of Ely, properly called John of Fountains, was a Cistercian monk of Fountains, and was chosen ninth abbot of his house in December 1211. 1

Early Origins of the Fountains family

The surname Fountains was first found in Norfolk at Harford, a parish, in the union of Swaffham, hundred of South Greenhoe.

"Narford Hall was built by Sir Andrew Fountaine, vice-chamberlain to Queen Caroline (consort of George II.), and the companion of Pope, Swift, and their literary society; he enriched the mansion with a collection of antiquities, paintings, and curiosities, which has been considerably increased by the present proprietor. In the reign of Edward III. Sir Thomas de Narford obtained for it a market and two fairs, long since fallen into disuse." 2

Early History of the Fountains family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Fountains research. Another 77 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1430, 1460, 1471, 1554, 1572, 1591, 1600, 1608, 1659, 1660, 1671, 1676 and 1753 are included under the topic Early Fountains History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Fountains Spelling Variations

The English language only became standardized in the last few centuries. For that reason, spelling variations are common among many Anglo-Norman names. The shape of the English language was frequently changed with the introduction of elements of Norman French, Latin, and other European languages; even the spelling of literate people's names were subsequently modified. Fountains has been recorded under many different variations, including Fountaine, Fountain, Fountayne, Fontain, Fontibus, Ffountain, Ffounteyn, Ffunteyn and many more.

Early Notables of the Fountains family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was Sir Andrew Fountaine (1676-1753), an English antiquarian, art collector and amateur architect. He was the eldest son of Andrew Fountaine, M.P., of Narford, Norfolk. 1 John Fountaine (1600-1671), the English jurist, was Commissioner of the great seal of England from (1659 to 1660). He was the son of Arthur Fountaine of Dalling, Norfolk. 1 Arthur Faunt, in religion Laurence Arthur (1554-1591), was an English Jesuit, born in...
Another 74 words (5 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Fountains Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Fountains migration to the United States +

To escape the uncertainty of the political and religious uncertainty found in England, many English families boarded ships at great expense to sail for the colonies held by Britain. The passages were expensive, though, and the boats were unsafe, overcrowded, and ridden with disease. Those who were hardy and lucky enough to make the passage intact were rewarded with land, opportunity, and social environment less prone to religious and political persecution. Many of these families went on to be important contributors to the young nations of Canada and the United States where they settled. Fountainss were some of the first of the immigrants to arrive in North America:

Fountains Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Allen Fountains, who landed in Maryland in 1669 3
Nicholas Fountains, who landed in Maryland in 1671 3

Fountains Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Peter Fountains, who landed in Virginia in 1716 3
Francis Fountains, who landed in Virginia in 1720 3

Fountains Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Walter Fountains, who arrived in America in 1887 3

The Fountains 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: Vix ea nostra voco
Motto Translation: I scarce call these things our own.

Citations +

Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print
Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)