Show ContentsScotforth History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The ancient roots of the Scotforth family are found in the Scottish-English border region where the ancestors of the name Scotforth lived among the people of the Boernician tribe. The Scotforth family lived in Roxburgh (now part of the region of Borders), Scotland. The surname Scott is of local origin as it denotes one who came from Scotland as in the Scot. The double 't' in Scott is now universal. Other records claim the name was for someone in England, who came to be from Scotland. Pre-dating surnames, the name may have been used for a Gaelic speaker within Scotland, who arrived with the Gaelic Dalriadans from Ireland in around 500 AD.

Early Origins of the Scotforth family

The surname Scotforth was first found in Roxburghshire, where a family seat was held on the lands of Ballendan at the head of the Ale water in that county. They descended from Uchtredus Scott who held the lands before 1107; he is on record as a witness to the foundation charter of Selkirk in 1120. Another early record is of Henricus le Scotte, who witnessed a charter by David Earl of Strathearn around 1195. By 1200, this great Clan controlled the borderlands of the Middle Marches of West Teviotdale, Ewesdale, Liddesdale, Buccleuch and Balweariel. 1

Early History of the Scotforth family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Scotforth research. Another 212 words (15 lines of text) covering the years 1296, 1450, 1565, 1611, 1644, 1647, 1649, 1661, 1674, 1685, 1693, 1705, 1745, 1771, 1832 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Scotforth History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Scotforth Spelling Variations

Since medieval scribes spelled words according to sound, and since there were no consistent rules for the translation of rules from Gaelic to English, spelling variations are extremely common in Boernician names of this vintage. Scotforth has been spelled Scott, Scot, Skotts, Scot, Scotach, Scott, Schotts and many more.

Early Notables of the Scotforth family

Notable amongst the family name during their early history was Walter Scott of Buccleuch (1565-1611), a Scottish nobleman and famous border reiver, known as the "Bold Buccleuch"; Mary Scott, 3rd Countess of Buccleuch and Countess of Tarras (1647-1661) Scottish peeress who married at the age of 11; Walter Scott, 1st Earl of Tarras (1644-1693), a Scottish nobleman who...
Another 58 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Scotforth Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Ireland Migration of the Scotforth family to Ireland

Some of the Scotforth family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 55 words (4 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Scotforth family

Many of the Boernician-Scottish families who crossed the Atlantic settled along the eastern seaboard in communities that would become the backbone of the emerging nations of the United States and Canada. In the War of Independence, American families that remained loyal to the Crown moved north into Canada and became known as United Empire Loyalists. The ancestral culture of all of these proud Scottish families remains alive in North America in the 20th century through Clan societies and highland games. Early North American immigration records have revealed a number of people bearing the name Scotforth or a variant listed above: Nicholas Scot, who arrived in Virginia in 1606, fourteen years before the "Mayflower"; Elizabeth Scot settled in Barbados in 1667; Goodwife Scott arrived in Virginia in 1623.



The Scotforth 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: Amo
Motto Translation: I love


  1. 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)


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