Saltmersh History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

The ancestors of the bearers of the Saltmersh family name are thought have lived in ancient Anglo-Saxon England. They were first found in the township of Saltmarsh which was in the parish of Howden in the West Riding of Yorkshire. Saltmersh 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. During the Middle Ages people were very conscious of the variations in their surroundings including the soil types. In this case the original bearers of the surname Saltmersh were named due to their close proximity to a salt marsh.

Early Origins of the Saltmersh family

The surname Saltmersh was first found in Yorkshire where the first record of the name was William Saltmarsh, Latinized De Salso Marisco, witnessed a grant of Richard Strongbow in the 12th century. Sir Richard Saltmarsh was one of the knights of that shire 17. Edward II. 1

Saltmarsh is a township, in the parish and union of Howden, wapentake of Howdenshire, in the East Riding of Yorkshire. "The Hall is a handsome stone mansion, with a well-wooded lawn and pleasure-grounds, the seat of the Saltmarsh family." 2

Early History of the Saltmersh family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Saltmersh research. Another 66 words (5 lines of text) covering the years 1639, 1646 and 1647 are included under the topic Early Saltmersh History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Saltmersh Spelling Variations

Until quite recently, the English language has lacked a definite system of spelling rules. Consequently, Anglo-Saxon surnames are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. Changes in Anglo-Saxon names were influenced by the evolution of the English language, as it incorporated elements of French, Latin, and other languages. Although Medieval scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded, so it is common to find one person referred to by several different spellings of his surname, even the most literate people varied the spelling of their own names. Variations of the name Saltmersh include Saltmarsh, Saltmarshe and others.

Early Notables of the Saltmersh family

Notables of this surname at this time include: John Saltmarsh (d. 1647), English mystical writer, of an old Yorkshire family, and a native of Yorkshire. Leaving the university, he became (about 1639) rector of Heslerton, Yorkshire. In 1646 Saltmarsh became an army chaplain, attached to the fortunes of Sir Thomas Fairfax. "On Saturday, 4 Dec. 1647, rousing himself from what he deemed a trance, he left his abode at Caystreet, near Great Ilford, Essex, and...
Another 75 words (5 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Saltmersh Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Saltmersh family

Searching for a better life, many English families migrated to British colonies. Unfortunately, the majority of them traveled 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 ocean. For those families that arrived safely, modest prosperity was attainable, and many went on to make invaluable contributions to the development of the cultures of the new colonies. Research into the origins of individual families in North America revealed records of the immigration of a number of people bearing the name Saltmersh or a variant listed above: Thomas Saltmarsh who was banished to Barbados in 1685.

Citations +

Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.