The Norman Conquest of England in 1066 added many new elements to an already vibrant culture. Among these were thousands of new names. The Shafftent family lived in Northumberland, at Shafto Crag, from whence their name is derived.
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Early Origins of the Shafftent family
The surname Shafftent was first found in Northumberland at either Shafto East or Shafto West. Both townships have remained rather small over the years with populations less than 50 people but both have considerable antiquity, being mentioned in records of the 13th century. In 1378, Matthew Bolton, vicar of Newcastle, and others, were feoffees for founding a chantry in the "chapel of Shafthowe." The Shaftos were traditional landowners of the area with the Aynsleys, and the Vaughans. 1
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Early History of the Shafftent family
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Shafftent research. Another 121 words (9 lines of text) covering the years 1100, 1110 and 1650 are included under the topic Early Shafftent History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
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Shafftent Spelling Variations
Norman surnames are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. The frequent changes in surnames are largely due to the fact that the Old and Middle English languages lacked definite spelling rules. The introduction of Norman French to England, as well as the official court languages of Latin and French, also had pronounced influences on the spelling of surnames. Since medieval scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded, rather than adhering to any specific spelling rules, it was common to find the same individual referred to with different spellings. The name has been spelled Shafto, Shaftan, Shaftoe, Shaftowe, Shaftow and others.
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Early Notables of the Shafftent family
More information is included under the topic Early Shafftent Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
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Migration of the Shafftent family
Many English families emigrated to North American colonies in order to escape the political chaos in Britain at this time. Unfortunately, many English families made the trip to the New World 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 stormy Atlantic. Despite these hardships, many of the families prospered and went on to make invaluable contributions to the development of the cultures of the United States and Canada. Early North American immigration records have revealed a number of people bearing the name Shafftent or a variant listed above: John Shaftoe settled in Virginia in 1716; Edward Shaftoe settled in Virginia in 1730.
England
