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![Show Contents]() Spafart History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
- Origins Available:
 England
The Anglo-Saxon name Spafart comes from the family having resided in the parish of Spofforth in Knaresborough in Yorkshire. Early Origins of the Spafart familyThe surname Spafart was first found in the West Riding of Yorkshire at Spoffarth, a parish, in the Upper division of the wapentake of Claro. "This place was the residence of the Percy family previously to their settlement at Alnwick, and possessed a formidable castle, their baronial seat, which was demolished by the Yorkists after the battle of Towton, in which the Earl of Northumberland, and his brother Sir Charles Percy, were slain. The remains consist chiefly of the grand hall, which, though a ruin, retains much of its ancient magnificence. The church is a spacious and handsome structure, partly in the Norman and early English styles, and contains a monument with a recumbent figure of a Knight Templar. " 1 Listed as Spoford in the Domesday Book of 1086, by 1218 the parish was known as Spotford. Literally the place name means "ford by a small plot of ground," from the Old English words "spot" + "ford." 2 Early History of the Spafart familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Spafart research. Another 49 words (4 lines of text) covering the years 1421 and 1448 are included under the topic Early Spafart History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Spafart Spelling VariationsSpafart has been spelled many different ways. Before English spelling became standardized over the last few hundred years, spelling variations in names were a common occurrence. As the English language changed in the Middle Ages, absorbing pieces of Latin and French, as well as other languages, the spelling of people's names also changed considerably, even over a single lifetime. Spelling variants included: Spaford, Spafford, Spafforde, Spafforth and others. Early Notables of the Spafart familyMore information is included under the topic Early Spafart Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Migration of the Spafart familyIn an attempt to escape the chaos experienced in England, many English families boarded overcrowded and diseased ships sailing for the shores of North America and other British colonies. Those families hardy enough, and lucky enough, to make the passage intact were rewarded with land and a social environment less prone to religious and political persecution. Many of these families became important contributors to the young colonies in which they settled. Early immigration and passenger lists have documented some of the first Spafarts to arrive on North American shores: John, Sr. Spafford, who settled in New England in 1643; John Spofford, who settled in Massachusetts in 1638; George Spafford, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1779.
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: Fidelis ad extremum
Motto Translation: Faithful to the extreme.
- Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
- Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
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