Show ContentsFramtowne History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The roots of the Anglo-Saxon name Framtowne come from when the family resided in Frampton. There are several places called Frampton in England; they can be found in the counties Dorset, Gloucestershire, and Leicestershire having derived from the Celtic river name Frome, of which there were several in pre-Norman England. Frome meant fine or fair. The suffix is derived from tun, an Old English word that meant "farm" or "enclosure." The name as a whole meant "farm on the River Frome", which was a familiar Celtic river name meaning "fair" or "fine" + tun. 1

Early Origins of the Framtowne family

The surname Framtowne was first found in Dorset, where the family resided at Moreton from 1385. 2 The village dates back to at least the Domesday Book where it was listed as Frantone. 3

There are multiple listings of Frantone in the Domesday Book, specifically in Dorset, Gloucestershire, and in Lincolnshire. Some villages have extended the name as in Frampton Mansell, Frampton Cotterell and Frampton on Severn.

Early History of the Framtowne family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Framtowne research. Another 121 words (9 lines of text) covering the years 1273, 1355, 1373, 1380, 1567, 1577, 1596, 1622, 1641, 1670, 1708 and 1727 are included under the topic Early Framtowne History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Framtowne Spelling Variations

The English language only became standardized in the last few centuries; therefore,spelling variations are common among early Anglo-Saxon names. As the form of the English language changed, even the spelling of literate people's names evolved. Framtowne has been recorded under many different variations, including Frampton, Framton, Framptoun, Framptown, Framptowne, Framtone, Framptone, Framtoun, Framptowne, Framptons and many more.

Early Notables of the Framtowne family

Notables of the family at this time include Sir Henry Frampton; Robert Frampton (1622-1708), Bishop of the Gloucester; and John Frampton, (fl. 1577-1596), an English merchant from the West Country, who settled in Spain, was imprisoned and tortured by the Inquisition, but escaped from Cádiz in 1567. 4 Robert Frampton (1622-1708), was Bishop of Gloucester, "born at Pimperne, near Blandford in Dorsetshire, 26 Feb. 1622. He was the youngest of eight children, his father being a respectable farmer." 4 Tregonwell Frampton (1641-1727), was regarded as 'the father of the turf,' born in 1641 at Moreton in Dorsetshire, and was the fifth son of...
Another 101 words (7 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Framtowne Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Framtowne family

For many English families, the political and religious disarray that shrouded England made the far away New World an attractive prospect. On cramped disease-ridden ships, thousands migrated to those British colonies that would eventually become Canada and the United States. Those hardy settlers that survived the journey often went on to make important contributions to the emerging nations in which they landed. Analysis of immigration records indicates that some of the first North American immigrants bore the name Framtowne or a variant listed above: Richard Frampton settled in New England in 1783; William Frampton settled in New York in 1821. In Newfoundland, Joseph Framton settled in Trinity Bay in 1760.



The Framtowne 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: Perseverando
Motto Translation: By perserving.


  1. Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
  2. Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
  3. Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
  4. Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print


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