Haltown History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland
Scotland

The name Haltown has a long Anglo-Saxon heritage. The name comes from when a family lived in Halton, a very common place-name in England. The place-name is derived from the Old English terms halh, which means nook or corner of land, and tun, which meant farm or enclosure, and later came to mean fortress and town. The name means "farm in the nook or corner of land." The surname denotes a dweller at same. 1

John of Halton or Halghton (d. 1324), was Bishop of Carlisle, a canon of the Augustinian convent of St. Mary's, Carlisle, which was also the cathedral of the diocese. "In 1295 Halton was sent as an ambassador to King John of Scotland, and on 8 Nov. received a safe-conduct for his return. On 13 Oct. 1297 Halton was appointed custos of Carlisle Castle and of the royal domains. In 1320 Halton went on his last embassy to Scotland, and had his expenses refused by the king on the ground that he went for his own good as well as for that of the realm." 2

Early Origins of the Haltown family

The surname Haltown was first found in Halton, the original name of the parish of St. Dominick, Cornwall. "At the time of Doomsday Survey the district was taxed under the appellation of Halton, by which name a manor is still distinguished in this parish. Halton, which gave name originally to this parish, before St. Dominick either honoured or disgraced it with his name, is a manor, that so early as the thirteenth century belonged to an ancient family of this name. In the reign of Edward II. the male heirs becoming extinct, Halton was carried by an heiress to Wendyn, from which family it was carried by another heiress to Whitlegh, who was sheriff of Devon in the reign of Richard II. and whose grandson was sheriff of that county under Henry VII." 3

Algar de Haltona was registered in 1084, as was Walter de Halton in the Feet of Fines for Lincolnshire in 1270. Richard de Halton was recorded in the Subsidy Rolls for Cumberland in 1332 and later, Henry Halton was listed in the Assize Rolls for London in 1407. 4

The Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 proved the wide use of the name throughout ancient Britain: John de Halton, Yorkshire; Richard de Halton, Lincolnshire; and Simon de Halton, Salop (Shropshire.) Later the Yorksire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379 included entries for Adam de Halton; Emma de Halton; and Johannes de Halton. 5

Early History of the Haltown family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Haltown research. Another 70 words (5 lines of text) covering the years 1084, 1628, 1632, 1677, 1699 and 1704 are included under the topic Early Haltown History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Haltown Spelling Variations

Spelling variations in names were a common occurrence before English spelling was standardized a few hundred years ago. In the Middle Ages, even the literate spelled their names differently as the English language incorporated elements of French, Latin, and other European languages. Many variations of the name Haltown have been found, including Halton, Haltone, Hultahan, Haltom, Haltum and others.

Early Notables of the Haltown family

Another 43 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Haltown Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Haltown family to Ireland

Some of the Haltown family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt. More information about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Haltown family

Families began migrating abroad in enormous numbers because of the political and religious discontent in England. Often faced with persecution and starvation in England, the possibilities of the New World attracted many English people. Although the ocean trips took many lives, those who did get to North America were instrumental in building the necessary groundwork for what would become for new powerful nations. Some of the first immigrants to cross the Atlantic and come to North America bore the name Haltown, or a variant listed above: James Haltone who arrived in Philadelphia in 1853; James Halton arrived in Maryland in 1775; John Halton arrived in Potomack in 1747.

Citations +

Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print
Hutchins, Fortescue, The History of Cornwall, from the Earliest Records and Traditions to the Present Time. London: William Penaluna, 1824. Print
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)