Sextom History, Family Crest & Coats of ArmsThe ancestors of the bearers of the Sextom family name are thought have lived in ancient Anglo-Saxon England. They were first found in Saxton, a parish, in the Upper division of the wapentake of Barkstone-Ash in the West Riding of Yorkshire. 1 This place-name was originally derived from the Old English Seaxe + tun, collectively meaning Saxon village. 2 The parish was recorded as Saxtun in the Doomsday Book of 1086. 3 Another source postulates the name could have originated in Cambridgeshire at Saxton Hall and/or Saxon Street. 4 The Sexton spelling denotes the office of " 'the sacristan,' now sexton or verger of a church. This, without doubt, has added to the modern directories. Although my instances are few, I suspect it is the parent of many of our Saxtons and Sextons." 5 "'Sexton', [was] originally 'the officer in a church in charge of the sacred vessels and vestments', not, as now, the grave-digger." 4 Early Origins of the Sextom familyThe surname Sextom was first found in the Curia Regis Rolls of 1208 where Jordan de Saxton was listed in Yorkshire and Simon de Sexton was recorded in Cambridgeshire. William Sextain was found in the Subsidy Rolls for Sussex in 1327 and Peter Sexten was found in the Subsidy Rolls for Worcestershire in 1327. 4 The Hundredorum Rolls for 1273 includes an entry for Hugh Sacristan in Kent and the Close Rolls, 7 Edward IV (during the seventh year of King Edward IV's reign) list John Sexteyn. 5 Back in Yorkshire, we found Johannes de Saxton and Robertus de Saxton listed in the Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379. 5 Early History of the Sextom familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Sextom research. Another 129 words (9 lines of text) covering the years 1485, 1537, 1540, 1556, 1610, 1631, 1732, 1773, 1808, 1838 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Sextom History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Sextom Spelling VariationsUntil 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 Sextom include Saxton, Saxon, Sefton, Sephton, Septon, Sexton and others. Early Notables of the Sextom familyDistinguished members of the family include Nicholas Shaxton (1485?-1556), Bishop of Salisbury, born probably about 1485, a native of the diocese of Norwich. He may have been a younger brother of one Thomas Shaxton of Batheley (or Bale) in Norfolk who, according to one pedigree, died in April 1537. 6Christopher Saxton (c.1540-1610) of Dewsbury, Yorkshire was a... Migration of the Sextom family to IrelandSome of the Sextom family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt. Migration of the Sextom familySearching 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 Sextom or a variant listed above: Giles Saxton, who came to Salem Massachusetts in 1630; John Sexton, who came to Virginia in 1635; Richard Sexton, who was on record in Boston Massachusetts in 1635.
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