Letter History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland
Scotland

The English surname Letter was originally the name of a place in Westmorland.

Early Origins of the Letter family

The surname Letter was first found in Westmorland where William de Laudre was listed in the Pipe Rolls for 1184. 1 However, most of the family claim Berwickshire, Scotland as their ancient homestead as Lauder is a royal burgh dating back to at least the early part of the 12th century, when David I. granted lands to their ancient ancestors. 2 here "the family are descended from Robert Lauder, a follower of Sir William Wallace." 3

In Ireland, the name was often changed to Leather, (meaning strong) from which we find variants like Leatherwood today. 4 Other variants like Louderback and Lauderback are extensions from the original name.

Early History of the Letter family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Letter research. Another 123 words (9 lines of text) covering the years 1057, 1297, 1298, 1311, 1516, 1611, 1646 and 1772 are included under the topic Early Letter History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Letter Spelling Variations

The name Letter, appeared in many references, and from time to time, the surname was spelt Lauder, Laudor, Lawder, Lawther, Leather, Lauther and others.

Early Notables of the Letter family

Notable amongst the family name during their early history was Sir Robert Lauder of Bass (d. 1311), a supporter of William Wallace at Stirling Bridge in 1297, and at...
Another 29 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Letter Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Letter family to Ireland

Some of the Letter 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.

Letter migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Letter Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Mr. John Letter who was convicted in Clerkenwell, London, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Clara" on 19th March 1857, arriving in Western Australia, Australia 5

The Letter 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: Sub umbra alarum tuarus
Motto Translation: Under the shadow of thy wings.

Citations +

Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of Scotland. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
Sims, Clifford Stanley The Origin and Signification of Scottish Surnames. 1862. Print.
MacLysaght, Edward, Supplement to Irish Families. Baltimore: Genealogical Book Company, 1964. Print.
Convict Records of Australia. Retrieved 11th February 2021 from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/clara