| ![Show Contents]() Staffordshire History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
Staffordshire is a name of ancient Norman origin. It arrived in England with the Norman Conquest of 1066. The Staffordshire family lived in Staffordshire, at Stafford, from where their name is derived. Early Origins of the Staffordshire familyThe surname Staffordshire was first found in Staffordshire where they were descended from Roger de Toeni, founder of the Abbey of Conches, who died in the Civil Wars in Normandy in 1038. His son, Ralph de Toeni, was hereditary Standard Bearer to King William the Conqueror, at the Battle of Hastings in 1066. His brother, Robert de Toeni, built a castle in Stafford and was the first to be surnamed Stafford. The family held eighty manors in thirteen Midland counties as recorded in the Domesday Book compiled in 1086, and from the senior line of this noble family descended the Dukes of Buckingham. The parish of Mugginton, Derbyshire played an important part of the family's heritage. "The manor, in Domesday Book Mogintune, was anciently held under Earl Ferrers, and in the reign of Edward I. was in moieties between the families of Chandos and Stafford. One moiety passed by a female heir to the immediate ancestor of Edward Sacheverell C. Pole, Esq.; and the Staffords' moiety has been successively in the families of Dethick, Rolleston, and Hallowes." 1 Moving south to Cornwall, we found an interesting entry about the family. "The great manor or franchise of Callilond, or Kalliland, [in the parish of Southill, Cornwall] had formerly a very extensive jurisdiction, and which at present is far from being diminutive, originally belonged to the baronial family of Stafford. In the days of Richard III. this manor became divided, one third passing to the crown, and the other two thirds passing with an heiress of the Stafford family in marriage to Willoughby, Lord Broke." 2 Early History of the Staffordshire familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Staffordshire research. Another 166 words (12 lines of text) covering the years 1350, 1377, 1402, 1403, 1432, 1450, 1452, 1455, 1460, 1469, 1483, 1500, 1512, 1521, 1523, 1554, 1556, 1574, 1593, 1612, 1625, 1630, 1655, 1684 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Staffordshire History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. It is only in the last few hundred years that the English language has been standardized. For that reason, Anglo-Norman surnames like Staffordshire are characterized by many spelling variations. Scribes and monks in the Middle Ages spelled names they sounded, so it is common to find several variations that refer to a single person. As the English language changed and incorporated elements of other European languages such as Norman French and Latin, even literate people regularly changed the spelling of their names. The variations of the name Staffordshire include Stafford, Staford, Strafford and others. Early Notables of the Staffordshire familyOutstanding amongst the family at this time was - Sir William Stafford, of Chebsey, in Staffordshire (c.1500-1556), an Essex landowner and the second husband of Mary Boleyn, sister of Anne Boleyn
 Migration of the Staffordshire family to Ireland
Some of the Staffordshire family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 94 words (7 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Faced with the chaos present in England at that time, many English families looked towards the open frontiers of the New World with its opportunities to escape oppression and starvation. People migrated to North America, as well as Australia and Ireland in droves, paying exorbitant rates for passages in cramped, unsafe ships. Many of the settlers did not make the long passage alive, but those who did see the shores of North America were welcomed with great opportunity. Many of the families that came from England went on to make essential contributions to the emerging nations of Canada and the United States. Some of the first immigrants to cross the Atlantic and come to North America carried the name Staffordshire, or a variant listed above: William Stafford, who settled in Virginia in 1622; Thomas Stafford, who settled in Rhode Island in 1630; Christopher Stafford, who settled in Virginia in 1635.
- Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
- Hutchins, Fortescue, The History of Cornwall, from the Earliest Records and Traditions to the Present Time. London: William Penaluna, 1824. Print
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