Show ContentsPichetone History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The name Pichetone arrived in England after the Norman Conquest of 1066. The Pichetone family lived in Flintshire, now part the county of Clwyd, Wales, at Picton. Their name is derived from the Old English words pic, meaning a hill with a sharp point, and tun, meaning enclosure or settlement.

Early Origins of the Pichetone family

The surname Pichetone was first found in Flintshire where they held a family seat from ancient times as Lords of the manor of Picton. At the time of the taking of the Domesday Book in 1086, a census initiated by Duke William of Normandy after his conquest of England in 1066, Picton was held by Robert of Rhuddlan, a Norman noble, and was a small hamlet. Conjecturally this distinguished family are descended from Robert. Alternatively, the name could have been derived from Pickton, a township, in the parish of KirkLeavington, union of Stockton, W. division of the liberty of Langbaurgh in Yorkshire. "This place, sometimes written Pyketon (Peak-town), belonged in the reign of Edward I. to a family of the same name. " 1

Early History of the Pichetone family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Pichetone research. Another 128 words (9 lines of text) covering the years 1755 and 1836 are included under the topic Early Pichetone History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Pichetone Spelling Variations

Anglo-Norman names are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. When the Normans became the ruling people of England in the 11th century, they introduced a new language into a society where the main languages of Old and later Middle English had no definite spelling rules. These languages were more often spoken than written, so they blended freely with one another. Contributing to this mixing of tongues was the fact that medieval scribes spelled words according to sound, ensuring that a person's name would appear differently in nearly every document in which it was recorded. The name has been spelled Pichetone, Pichtone, Pickton, Picton and others.

Early Notables of the Pichetone family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was Sir John of Picton Castle; and Cesar Picton (c.1755-1836), who went from slave to successful businessman in England. As a slave, he was presented as a...
Another 34 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Pichetone Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Pichetone family

For many English families, the political and religious disarray that plagued their homeland made the frontiers of the New World an attractive prospect. Thousands migrated, aboard cramped disease-ridden ships. They arrived sick, poor, and hungry, but were welcomed in many cases with far greater opportunity than at home in England. Many of these hardy settlers went on to make important contributions to the emerging nations in which they landed. Among early immigrants bearing the name Pichetone or a variant listed above were: John Pickton who settled in Maryland in 1725; Margaret Picton, a bonded passenger, who arrived in America in 1735; John Pickton, who came to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1841.



  1. Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.


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