Longtray History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

The ancestors of the bearers of the Longtray family name are thought have lived in ancient Anglo-Saxon England. They were first found in the parish of Langtree in Devon. The surname was also associated with Langtree the township in the parish of Standish in Lancashire.

Early Origins of the Longtray family

The surname Longtray was first found in Devon at Langtree, a village and parish in the union of Torrington, hundred of Shebbear, Torrington. Dating back to the Domesday Book of 1086 where it was listed as Langtrewa 1, the place name literally means "tall tree," from the Old English words "lang" + "treow." 2 Standish-with-Langtree was the name of a local government district centered on Standish, Greater Manchester, historically part of Lancashire. The Langtree was an ancient hundred in the south-east of the county of Oxfordshire.

Early History of the Longtray family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Longtray research. Another 66 words (5 lines of text) covering the year 1173 is included under the topic Early Longtray History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Longtray 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 Longtray include Langtree, Langtrey, Langtry and others.

Early Notables of the Longtray family

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

Migration of the Longtray family

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 Longtray or a variant listed above: Charles Langtry settled in New York in 1822.

Citations +

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)