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![Show Contents]() Stavfithey History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
The name Stavfithey was brought to England in the great wave of migration following the Norman Conquest of 1066. The Stavfithey family lived in Staffordshire, at Stafford, from where their name is derived. Early Origins of the Stavfithey familyThe surname Stavfithey 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 Stavfithey familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Stavfithey 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 Stavfithey History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Stavfithey Spelling VariationsEndless spelling variations are a prevailing characteristic of Norman surnames. Old and Middle English lacked any definite spelling rules, and the introduction of Norman French added an unfamiliar ingredient to the English linguistic stew. French and Latin, the languages of the court, also influenced spellings. Finally, Medieval scribes generally spelled words according to how they sounded, so one person was often referred to by different spellings in different documents. The name has been spelled Stafford, Staford, Strafford and others. Early Notables of the Stavfithey familyOutstanding amongst the family at this time was Katherine Swynford, Duchess of Lancaster (Catherine Synford), (1350-1403), daughter of Sir Payne (de) Roet originally a Flemish herald from County of Hainaut, later knighted; Edmund Stafford, 5th Earl of Stafford and 6th Baron Audley, (1377-1403), son of Hugh de Stafford, 2nd Earl of Stafford and Philippa de Beauchamp, inherited the Earldom at the age of 17; John Stafford (d. 1452), English statesman, Lord Chancellor (1432-1450), and Archbishop of Canterbury; Humphrey Stafford (1402-1460), English...
Another 80 words (6 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Stavfithey Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.  Migration of the Stavfithey family to Ireland
Some of the Stavfithey 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. Migration of the Stavfithey familyTo escape the political and religious persecution within England at the time, many English families left for the various British colonies abroad. The voyage was extremely difficult, though, and the cramped, dank ships caused many to arrive in the New World diseased and starving. But for those who made it, the trip was most often worth it. Many of the families who arrived went on to make valuable contributions to the emerging nations of Canada and the United States. An inquiry into the early roots of North American families reveals a number of immigrants bearing the name Stavfithey 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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England
Ireland
