Lettsom History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

The history of the Lettsom family goes back to the ancient Anglo-Saxon culture of Britain. It is derived from the family living in West Yorkshire at Lerdsham, a parish, in the Upper division of the wapentake of Barkstone-Ash. 1 2 This parish appears in the Domesday Book as Ledesham 3 and literally meant "homestead within the district of Leeds." 4

Early Origins of the Lettsom family

The surname Lettsom was first found in Yorkshire where they held a family seat as Lords of the Manor of Ledsham near Pontefrac. The earliest record was Ned de Ledesham who was listed in the Assize Rolls for Yorkshire in 1219. 5

Ledsham in Cheshire is another possible origin point for the family. This township in the parish of Neston, union, and Higher division of the hundred of Wirrall also dates back to the Domesday Book of 1086 when it was "written [as] Levetsham, and the lands are therein stated to have been held by Walter de Vernon." 1

Later in the Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379, Robertus de Ledesam and Johannes de Ledsam were listed as holding lands there at that time. The Register of the University of Oxford includes an entry for Henry Ledsham in 1570. 2

Early History of the Lettsom family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Lettsom research. Another 116 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1172, 1540, 1582, 1602, 1603, 1775 and 1809 are included under the topic Early Lettsom History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Lettsom 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 Lettsom include Ledsham, Leadsham, Leadsom, Leadson, Ledsum, Ledsam, Ledsem, Ledson, Leadson, lettsom, Letsom and many more.

Early Notables of the Lettsom family

More information is included under the topic Early Lettsom Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Lettsom family to Ireland

Some of the Lettsom family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 61 words (4 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Lettsom migration to the United States +

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 Lettsom or a variant listed above:

Lettsom Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

William P Lettsom, who landed in New York in 1836 6

The Lettsom 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: Fac at spera
Motto Translation: Do and hope.

Citations +

Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
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)