Show ContentsStawbind History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The vast movement of people that followed the Norman Conquest of England of 1066 brought the Stawbind family name to the British Isles. They lived in Devon. Their name, however, is a reference to St. Albine de Terregatt, Normandy.

"Mauger de St. Albyn witnessed the foundation charter of Barnstaple Abbey in the time of the Conqueror, and his posterity remained for many generations in Devonshire. Their earliest recorded residence was Pickwell, in the parish of George Ham, where Sir Mauger de St. Albino was seated in the latter days of Henry III." 1

"This knight and his lady are interred in the church, under a fair monument of free stone, with their representations neatly cut ; and he lying in his armour makes show of large stature, something more than ordinary. The inhabitants report from their ancestors that he was of giant-like stature, and therefore named Major St. Aubyn, mistaking Major for Mauger or Maugis, a common name in those days. He was of so great and extraordinary strength that he was able to cast a huge main stone a very large length. The stone is yet there to be seen, and the throw marked out by two erected monuments yet extant, and the stone is so weighty that two strong men of this age are but able to lift it." 1

Early Origins of the Stawbind family

The surname Stawbind was first found in Devon and neighbouring Cornwall. "The manors of Berripper and Penpons, [in Camborne] which are now the property of Sir John St. Aubyn, have long been in the possession of his family. His grandfather, who was born in this parish, and who represented this county in parliament, has rendered his name memorable by his eloquence and independence." 2

"The manor of Trelowith, together with that of Trenhale, [in the parish of St. Erth, Cornwall] has long been in the St. Aubyn family, where it still remains. Hals says, that from Trenhayle was denominated an old family of gentlemen that became extinct so early as the reign of Edward III. when the heiress of this family married Tencreek, whose heiress married Budeoxhed, which family also became extinct in the reign of Elizabeth. It appears however, from the parish register, that some of the Trenhayle family remained so late as the seventeenth century." 2

Early History of the Stawbind family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Stawbind research. Another 121 words (9 lines of text) covering the years 1613, 1640, 1641, 1645, 1670, 1684, 1687, 1702, 1714, 1726, 1744, 1772 and 1819 are included under the topic Early Stawbind History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Stawbind Spelling Variations

Anglo-Norman names are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. When the Normans became the ruling people of England in the 11th century, they introduced a new language into a society where the main languages of Old and later Middle English had no definite spelling rules. These languages were more often spoken than written, so they blended freely with one another. Contributing to this mixing of tongues was the fact that medieval scribes spelled words according to sound, ensuring that a person's name would appear differently in nearly every document in which it was recorded. The name has been spelled St. Albyn, St. Awbyne, St. Aubyn, St. Alban and many more.

Early Notables of the Stawbind family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was Sir John St. Albyn; John St Aubyn (1613-1684), English politician in the House of Commons (1640), Colonel in the Parliamentary Army in the English Civil War...
Another 33 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Stawbind Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Ireland Migration of the Stawbind family to Ireland

Some of the Stawbind family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 48 words (3 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 Stawbind family

For many English families, the political and religious disarray that plagued their homeland made the frontiers of the New World an attractive prospect. Thousands migrated, aboard cramped disease-ridden ships. They arrived sick, poor, and hungry, but were welcomed in many cases with far greater opportunity than at home in England. Many of these hardy settlers went on to make important contributions to the emerging nations in which they landed. Among early immigrants bearing the name Stawbind or a variant listed above were: Jonathan St. Alban, who settled in Barbados in 1663; James, David, Edward, John, Michael, Patrick, Thomas, Walter and William Tobin all arrived in Philadelphia between 1840 and 1870..



The Stawbind Motto +

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: Deus meus, dux meus
Motto Translation: My god is my guide.


  1. Cleveland, Dutchess of The Battle Abbey Roll with some Account of the Norman Lineages. London: John Murray, Abermarle Street, 1889. Print. Volume 3 of 3
  2. 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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