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![Show Contents]() Spavorthay History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
- Origins Available:
 England
The ancestors of the bearers of the Spavorthay family name are thought have lived in ancient Anglo-Saxon England. They were first found in the parish of Spofforth in Knaresborough in Yorkshire. Early Origins of the Spavorthay familyThe surname Spavorthay 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 Spavorthay familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Spavorthay research. Another 49 words (4 lines of text) covering the years 1421 and 1448 are included under the topic Early Spavorthay History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Spavorthay 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 Spavorthay include Spaford, Spafford, Spafforde, Spafforth and others. Early Notables of the Spavorthay familyMore information is included under the topic Early Spavorthay Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Migration of the Spavorthay 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 Spavorthay or a variant listed above: 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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