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![Show Contents]() Shafton History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
- Origins Available:
 England
Shafton is an ancient Norman name that arrived in England after the Norman Conquest of 1066. The Shafton family lived in Northumberland, at Shafto Crag, from whence their name is derived. Early Origins of the Shafton familyThe surname Shafton 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 Early History of the Shafton familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Shafton research. Another 121 words (9 lines of text) covering the years 1100, 1110 and 1650 are included under the topic Early Shafton History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Shafton Spelling VariationsNorman 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. Early Notables of the Shafton familyMore information is included under the topic Early Shafton Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
 Shafton migration to the United States | + |
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 Shafton or a variant listed above:
Shafton Settlers in United States in the 18th Century- Ruben Shafton, who arrived in Virginia in 1703 2
- Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
- Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
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Shafton migration to the United States 
