Middleto History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Scotland

Middleto is a name of ancient Anglo-Saxon origin and comes from the family once having lived in one of the many places called Middleton throughout England. "There are several dozen places, larger or smaller, scattered up and down England of this name." 1

The surname Middleto belongs to the large category of Anglo-Saxon habitation names, which are derived from pre-existing names for towns, villages, parishes, or farmsteads.

Early Origins of the Middleto family

The surname Middleto was first found in one of the many villages named Middleton throughout Britain. One of the earlies records of the name was Robert de Mideltone who was listed in 1166 in Eynsham, Oxfordshire. 2

The Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 list: Richard de Middleton in Buckinghamshire; Thomas de Middelton in Lincolnshire; and Gilbert de Middleton in Yorkshire. The Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls revealed: Johannes de Midillton; Thomas de Midilton; and Ricardus de Midilton. 1 The Subsidy Rolls of Sussex list William de Midelton in 1327 and The Feet of Fines of Warwickshire list John Middilton (1409-1410.) 2 John de Middleton was vicar of St Mary's Church, Ottery St Mary, Devon in 1297.

Middleton, Warwickshire is a parish in the union of Tamworth. "the Moxhall estate, is the property of Lord Middleton. Middleton Hall, a seat of Lord Middleton's, is an ancient moated mansion, finely situated, and surrounded by an extensive park. " 3

The name was quick to appear further north in Scotland where "the first of the name recorded appears to have been Umfridus de Midilton who witnessed a grant of the lands of Petmengartenach to the Abbey of Arbroath in 1221. " 4 A few years later, Humfrey de Middiltone of the county of Kincardyn rendered homage to King Edward I in 1296. Robert Middleton was a defender of Dunbar Castle against the English in 1296, he was taken prisoner by King Edward I of England. "For about three centuries the family here bore the designation of Middleton of that Ilk." 4

Early History of the Middleto family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Middleto research. Another 153 words (11 lines of text) covering the years 1200, 1357, 1488, 1550, 1556, 1580, 1586, 1589, 1608, 1614, 1624, 1627, 1629, 1631, 1636, 1640, 1649, 1651, 1655, 1660, 1662, 1663, 1666, 1673, 1679, 1681, 1682, 1684, 1685, 1705, 1716 and 1719 are included under the topic Early Middleto History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Middleto Spelling Variations

Sound was what guided spelling in the essentially pre-literate Middle Ages, so one person's name was often recorded under several variations during a single lifetime. Also, before the advent of the printing press and the first dictionaries, the English language was not standardized. Therefore, spelling variations were common, even among the names of the most literate people. Known variations of the Middleto family name include Middleton, Middelton, Midleton and others.

Early Notables of the Middleto family

Notables of the family at this time include

Thomas Middleton, Sheriff of York
Thomas Middleton (1580-1627), English playwright
John Middleton (c.1608-1673), 1st Earl of Middleton
John Middleton (died 1636), an English landowner and politician who sat in the House of Commons between 1614 and 1629
Thomas Middleton (1589-c.1662), an English politician who sat in the House of Commons between 1640 and 1660, supporter of the Parliamentarian side in the English Civil War
Hugh Middleton, Commander of the "Guist" who engaged twenty-three single fights against the Dutch, Spanish and French
Charles Middleton, 2nd Earl of Middleton, Jacobite 1st Earl of Monmouth, PC (1649-1719), a Scottish politician, Secretary of State for Scotland (1682-1684)

Migration of the Middleto family

For political, religious, and economic reasons, thousands of English families boarded ships for Ireland, Canada, the America colonies, and many of smaller tropical colonies in the hope of finding better lives abroad. Although the passage on the cramped, dank ships caused many to arrive in the New World diseased and starving, those families that survived the trip often went on to make valuable contributions to those new societies to which they arrived. Early immigrants bearing the Middleto surname or a spelling variation of the name include: Antony Middleton, who settled in Virginia in 1623; Catherine Middleton, who came to Virginia in 1647; Charles Middleton, who arrived in Virginia in 1633.

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)
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 England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
Black, George F., The Surnames of Scotland Their Origin, Meaning and History. New York: New York Public Library, 1946. Print. (ISBN 0-87104-172-3)