Sants History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

The ancient history of the Sants name begins with the ancient Anglo-Saxon tribes of Britain. The name is derived from when the family resided in the residence that was near the sands. Sants 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 Sants were named due to their close proximity to the sands.

Early Origins of the Sants family

The surname Sants was first found in Worcestershire at Wickhamford, a parish, in the union of Evesham, Upper division of the hundred of Blackenhurst. "The church [of Wickhamford] is an exceedingly neat edifice, with a simple unpretending tower which rises prettily above the trees that environ it: in the chancel are two enriched altar-tombs with effigies in alabaster, in memory of the Sandys family, whose descendant, Lord Sandys, in 1841 repaired the entire church." 1 "About a mile from the church [of Woodham-Ferris in Essex] is Edwin Hall, a handsome mansion erected by Edwin Sandys, Archbishop of York." 1

"At Lanarth, [in the parish of St. Keverne, Cornwall] which has been in possession of the Sandys family upwards of a century, an elegant house has been lately built by its present proprietor Lieutenant Colonel William Sandys, who spent the spring of his life in India, in those active scenes which mark and diversify the military occupation. His house, gardens, and grounds, have been raised to their present state of perfection at a vast expence; and they include every convenience which a retired situation can be expected to secure." 2

Early History of the Sants family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Sants research. Another 135 words (10 lines of text) covering the years 1377, 1519, 1559, 1560, 1570, 1576, 1577, 1586, 1588, 1591, 1607, 1609, 1614, 1615, 1621, 1622, 1623, 1640, 1642, 1644, 1660, 1661, 1669, 1681, 1685, 1702 and 1708 are included under the topic Early Sants History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Sants 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 Sants include Sandys, Sands, Sandy and others.

Early Notables of the Sants family

Notables of the family at this time include Edwin Sandys (1519-1588), an English prelate, Bishop of Worcester (1559-1570), London (1570-1576) and Archbishop of York (1576-1588) Archbishop of York; his son, George Sandys (1577-1644), an English traveler, colonist and poet; Sir Samuel Sandys (1560-1623), an English landowner and politician, Member of Parliament for Ripon (1586) and Worcestershire (1609-1622); Sir Edwin Sandys (1591-1623)...
Another 60 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Sants Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Sants family to Ireland

Some of the Sants 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.

Migration of the Sants 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 Sants or a variant listed above: David Sands who settled in Virginia in 1620; followed by George in 1623; William in 1623; Mary in 1648; Ellen Sands settled in New York State in 1804.

Contemporary Notables of the name Sants (post 1700) +

J. R. Sants, American politician, Mayor of Traverse City, Michigan; Elected 1903

The Sants 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: Probum non poenitet
Motto Translation: We do not repent of what is good.

Citations +

Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
Hutchins, Fortescue, The History of Cornwall, from the Earliest Records and Traditions to the Present Time. London: William Penaluna, 1824. Print