Mottvand History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

The name Mottvand was brought to England in the great wave of migration following the Norman Conquest of 1066. The Mottvand family lived in Cheshire at Mottram St. Andrew, a small village and parish that dates back to the Domesday Book where it was listed as Motre, but later listed as Motromandreus in 1351. The place name possibly meant "speaker's place" or "place where meetings are held" from the Old English motere + rum. 1 More recently, it is home to Mottram Hall, a house built around 1750. Mottram in Longdendale is a village in Greater Manchester. It is one of the eight ancient parishes of the Macclesfield Hundred of Cheshire and dates back at least 1242.

Early Origins of the Mottvand family

The surname Mottvand was first found in Cheshire where they held a family seat as Lords of the Manor of Mottram at the time of the Norman Conquest of England by Duke William of Normandy in 1066 A.D. Conjecturally they are descended from Gamal whose father held the Lordship from Earl Hugh Bigod, the Chief tenant. Mottram was classed as a Hawk's eyrie at the time of the taking of the Domesday Book survey in 1086 A.D. The village is now two villages, Mottram St. Andrew and Mottram Cross. There is now a Mottram Old Hall. The name also became Mottershead about the 16th century, branching away but retaining the same Coat of Arms.

The earliest record of the family was John de Mottrum who was listed in the Assize Rolls for Cheshire in 1287. 2

Early East Cheshire records revealed John de Mottrum and Adam de Mottrum as both holding lands there in 1376. 3

And an Adam de Mottrum was gaoler of Macclesfield and bailiff of the forest there in the middle of the 14th century (1301-1360.) 4

Early History of the Mottvand family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Mottvand research. Another 130 words (9 lines of text) covering the years 1541, 1564, 1565, 1595, 1605, 1678, 1688, 1715 and 1771 are included under the topic Early Mottvand History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Mottvand Spelling Variations

Norman surnames are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. The frequent changes in surnames are largely due to the fact that the Old and Middle English languages lacked definite spelling rules. The introduction of Norman French to England, as well as the official court languages of Latin and French, also had pronounced influences on the spelling of surnames. Since medieval scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded, rather than adhering to any specific spelling rules, it was common to find the same individual referred to with different spellings. The name has been spelled Mottram, Mottrame, Motram, Motramm, Motteram, Mottvane, Mottershead, Mottishead, Mottishitt and many more.

Early Notables of the Mottvand family

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

Migration of the Mottvand family

Many English families emigrated to North American colonies in order to escape the political chaos in Britain at this time. Unfortunately, many English families made the trip to the New World 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 stormy Atlantic. Despite these hardships, many of the families prospered and went on to make invaluable contributions to the development of the cultures of the United States and Canada. Early North American immigration records have revealed a number of people bearing the name Mottvand or a variant listed above: Thomas Mottram and William who arrived in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1856; Adam Mottershed settled in Virginia in 1698; John Mottershitt settled in Virginia in 1663..

Citations +

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)
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
Harrison, Henry, Surnames of the United Kingdom: A Concise Etymological Dictionary Baltimore: Geneological Publishing Company, 2013. Print