Show ContentsRemsbotham History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The ancient roots of the Remsbotham family name are in the Anglo-Saxon culture. The name Remsbotham comes from when the family lived in the region of Romsbottom in the county of Lancashire. Remsbotham is a topographic surname, which was given to a person who resided near a physical feature such as a hill, stream, church, or type of tree. Habitation names form the other broad category of surnames that were derived from place-names. They were derived from pre-existing names for towns, villages, parishes, or farmsteads.

Early Origins of the Remsbotham family

The surname Remsbotham was first found in Lancashire in the parish of Bury at Romsbottom (now known as Ramsbottom). Today it is a market town in Greater Manchester but anciently the town was known as Romesbothum in 1324. 1 Literally the place name means "valley of the ream, or where wild garlic grows from the Old English "ramm" or "hramsa" + "bothm." 1

Early History of the Remsbotham family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Remsbotham research. Another 75 words (5 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Remsbotham History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Remsbotham Spelling Variations

One relatively recent invention that did much to standardize English spelling was the printing press. However, before its invention even the most literate people recorded their names according to sound rather than spelling. The spelling variations under which the name Remsbotham has appeared include Ramsbottom, Ramsbotham, Rasbottom and others.

Early Notables of the Remsbotham family

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

Migration of the Remsbotham family

At this time, the shores of the New World beckoned many English families that felt that the social climate in England was oppressive and lacked opportunity for change. Thousands left England at great expense in ships that were overcrowded and full of disease. A great portion of these settlers never survived the journey and even a greater number arrived sick, starving, and without a penny. The survivors, however, were often greeted with greater opportunity than they could have experienced back home. These English settlers made significant contributions to those colonies that would eventually become the United States and Canada. An examination of early immigration records and passenger ship lists revealed that people bearing the name Remsbotham arrived in North America very early: Joseph, Mark and Thomas Ramsbottom arrived in Philadelphia between 1856 and 1868; John Ramsbotten settled in Virginia in 1698.



The Remsbotham 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: Non vi, sed virtute
Motto Translation: Not by force, but by virtue


  1. Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)


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