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![Show Contents]() Mortint History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
Mortint is an ancient Scottish name that was first used by the Strathclyde-Briton people of the Scottish/English Borderlands. It is a name for someone who lived in Dumfriesshire at Morton, a parish containing, with the village of Thornhill, and part of Carronbridge. "The name of Morton, which is Anglo-Saxon, signifies "the stronghold or dwelling on the moor;" and the parish appears to have been thus denominated from the old castle of Morton, a very strong place, the striking ruins of which are still to be seen upon an extensive moor at the bottom of a beautiful green hill. This castle is supposed to have been originally the possession of a Norman chief named de Moreville, whose family had settled in Scotland in the 10th century, obtained a large part of the estates in this neighbourhood, and risen to great power and eminence. He was appointed hereditary lord high constable of Scotland; and his grandson, Hugo de Moreville, in the year 1140, founded the monastery of Kilwinning, in Ayrshire, and in 1144 the abbey of Dryburgh, in Teviotdale." 1 Early Origins of the Mortint familyThe surname Mortint was first found in Dumfriesshire at Morton. One of the first records of the family was "Hugh de Mortun, prior of May, c. 1204-11. William de Mortun who witnessed a grant of the churches of Trauerflat and Dungray to the Abbey of Kelso in 1266, may be W. de Mortun, rector of the church of Dunbenauch, 1269. Thomas de Mortoun held the mill of Mortoun, Dumfriesshire, 1376, and John de Mortoun was provost of the Collegiate Church of Bothevile, 1413." 2 The same author postulates the the origin of the name may also Of territorial origin from the lands of Myrton or Myretoun, afterwards Morton, in the parish of Kemback, Fife. The Myretons, Myretouns, or Mortons of Cambo were an old and considerable family in Fife, who took their surname from these lands. The family "are said to have derived their name from an ancestor in the fourteenth century, who held office as mair of the barony of Crail, and whose own lands were designated Mairtoun. But it is more probable that the family were named from the character or condition of their lands-Myretoun being a corrupt form of Muirtown." 2 Early History of the Mortint familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Mortint research. Another 237 words (17 lines of text) covering the years 1051, 1160, 1170, 1361, 1373, 1422, 1429, 1431, 1446, 1514, 1544, 1559, 1581, 1584, 1590, 1598, 1647, 1694, 1820, 1869 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Mortint History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Mortint Spelling VariationsPrior to the first dictionaries, scribes spelled words according to sound. This, and the fact that Scottish names were repeatedly translated from Gaelic to English and back, contributed to the enormous number of spelling variations in Scottish names. Mortint has been spelled Morton, Moreton, Moorton, Myrton and others. Early Notables of the Mortint familyNotable among the family at this time was James Douglas, 4th Earl of Morton (d. 1581), Scottish nobleman, who ruled as a regent for James IV; a line of Moretons, who were Earls of Ducie, as well as John Morton of York, who was the Archbisop of Canterbury and Lord Chancellor of England during the reign of Henry...
Another 57 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Mortint Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.  Migration of the Mortint family to Ireland
Some of the Mortint family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 56 words (4 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Migration of the Mortint familyIn such difficult times, the difficulties of raising the money to cross the Atlantic to North America did not seem so large compared to the problems of keeping a family together in Scotland. It was a journey well worth the cost, since it was rewarded with land and freedom the Scots could not find at home. The American War of Independence solidified that freedom, and many of those settlers went on to play important parts in the forging of a great nation. Among them: Edward Moreton settled in Barbados in 1685; John Moreton settled in New England in 1663; Mathew Moreton settled in Virginia in 1698; George Morton settled in Plymouth Mass in 1623.
- Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of Scotland. 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)
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