Newtown History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland
Scotland

The name Newtown was brought to England by the Normans when they conquered the country in 1066. The ancestors of the Newtown family lived in Cheshire, at Newton. The surname Newtown was originally derived from the Old English words, neowe, meaning new, and tun, meaning enclosure or settlement. 1

Early Origins of the Newtown family

The surname Newtown was first found in the Domesday Book of 1086 where Alward de Niwetuna was recorded as holding lands in Norfolk at that time. 2 Years later, Robert de Neweton was listed in the Pipe Rolls of 1190 for Yorkshire and Stephen de Neuton was found in the Subsidy Rolls for Worcestershire c. 1280. 3

Other early rolls entries include: Gannora de Neutone, Staffordshire; Ralph de Neatone, Huntingdonshire; and Alan de Neuton, Lincolnshire, all listed in the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273. The Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379 include entries for: Willelmus de Neweton; and Johannes de Neuton. 4

While there are many parishes so named, one source claim the family is "from Newton in Haddingtonshire. The family were seated there in 1377; Sir Isaac Newton derived his descent from them." 5

Much of the family was found in Cheshire at Wilmslow, a parish, in the union of Altrincham, hundred of Macclesfield. "In the north chapel [of Wilmslow church] are two altar-tombs sunk in the wall, on which are figures representing the Newtons of Newton and Pownall." 6 We must take a moment to explore the hamlet of Woolsthorpe in Lincolnshire. "This is an ancient hamlet, consisting of a few farmhouses and thatched cottages, with the old manor-house, in which the immortal Sir Isaac Newton was born, on Christmas-day, 1642. His father, John Newton, Esq., was lord of the manor. Great care is taken for the preservation of the house; and when it was repaired, in 1798, a tablet of white marble, commemorating the philosopher's birth, was put up in the chamber where the event took place." 6

Scotland was home to another branch of the family: "The first three persons here named derived their name from the old parish of Newton in Midlothian. James de Neutone and Huwe de Neutone of Edinberghshire (Edinburghshire) rendered homage in 1296. Alexander de Newtoun de eodem was one of assize on the perambulation of the bounds of Gladmor, 1430." 7

Early History of the Newtown family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Newtown research. Another 225 words (16 lines of text) covering the years 1166, 1374, 1446, 1463, 1479, 1543, 1579, 1626, 1642, 1660, 1661, 1699 and 1727 are included under the topic Early Newtown History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Newtown 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 Newtown 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 Newtown include Newton, Newdon and others.

Early Notables of the Newtown family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was Sir Isaac Newton (1642-1727), the English polymath active as a mathematician, physicist, astronomer, alchemist, theologian, and author. He is probably best remembered for his Principia, where Newton formulated the laws of motion and universal gravitation.Sir...
Another 42 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Newtown Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Newtown family to Ireland

Some of the Newtown family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt. More information about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Newtown migration to the United States +

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 Newtown, or a variant listed above:

Newtown Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Ann Newtown, who arrived in Maryland in 1662 8

The Newtown Motto +

The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.

Motto: Huic habeo non tibi
Motto Translation: I hold it for him, not for thee.

Citations +

Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
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)
Sims, Clifford Stanley The Origin and Signification of Scottish Surnames. 1862. Print.
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)
Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)