Longthropp History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

Early Origins of the Longthropp family

The surname Longthropp was first found in Yorkshire in the North Riding at Langstrothdale, a scenic valley in the Yorkshire Dales. Literally the place name means "of the lang strother," in other words, "the long marsh." 1

Another source claims the name is from the lands of Langthorp(e), also in North Yorkshire which was held Gospatrick, Earl of Northumberland who was recorded in the Domesday Book census of 1086. 2 In this case, the place name meant "outlying farmstead or hamlet of a woman called Langlif," from the Viking personal name + "thorpe." 3 Today, Langthorp is a township, in the parish of Kirkbyon-the-Moor, wapentake of Hallikeld. 4

Early records of the family are scarce. However, the Register of the University of Oxford records Richard Langstrothyr in 1448 and William Langstrother in 1450. 1

Early History of the Longthropp family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Longthropp research. Another 46 words (3 lines of text) covering the years 1212, 1448, 1490, 1498, 1514, 1530, 1549 and 1676 are included under the topic Early Longthropp History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Longthropp Spelling Variations

It is only in the last few hundred years that the English language has been standardized. For that reason, Anglo-Norman surnames like Longthropp are characterized by many spelling variations. Scribes and monks in the Middle Ages spelled names they sounded, so it is common to find several variations that refer to a single person. As the English language changed and incorporated elements of other European languages such as Norman French and Latin, even literate people regularly changed the spelling of their names. The variations of the name Longthropp include Langthorpe, Lanthorp, Langthorp, Langthrop, Langthropp, Longthorp, Longthorpe, Longthrup, Longthropp, Langstroth, Langstrath, Langstreeth and many more.

Early Notables of the Longthropp family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was Agnes Langstroth (1498-1530) an English woman who allegedly was the illegitimate daughter of Princess Bridget of York. Originally known as Agnes of Eltham, she was an orphan and ward of the Dartford Priory in Dartford, Kent. The Priory was also the home of Princess Bridget of York, younger sister to Elizabeth, queen...
Another 59 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Longthropp Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Longthropp family

Faced with the chaos present in England at that time, many English families looked towards the open frontiers of the New World with its opportunities to escape oppression and starvation. People migrated to North America, as well as Australia and Ireland in droves, paying exorbitant rates for passages in cramped, unsafe ships. Many of the settlers did not make the long passage alive, but those who did see the shores of North America were welcomed with great opportunity. Many of the families that came from England went on to make essential contributions to the emerging nations of Canada and the United States. Some of the first immigrants to cross the Atlantic and come to North America carried the name Longthropp, or a variant listed above: the name represented in many forms and recorded from the mid 17th century in the great migration from Europe. Migrants settled in the eastern seaboard from Newfoundland, to Maine, to Virginia, the Carolinas, and to the islands..

Citations +

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)
Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.