Stemson History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Scotland
Ireland

The many centuries old Dalriadan-Scottish name Stemson comes from Steven, and means son of Steven, a variant of Stephen, which meant crown or garland. 1 This personal name was popular throughout Christian Europe during the Middle Ages, mostly due to St. Stephen, the first Christian martyr. The name was Gaelicized as Mac Stiofáin.

Early Origins of the Stemson family

The surname Stemson was first found in Northumberland, where they were established since the early Middle Ages at Knaresdale Hall, and at Newcastle on Tyne. By 1150, they had moved north to Scotland in the parish of Newlands in Peebles (now part of the Strathclyde and Border regions), where Stevene Stevenson swore an oath of allegiance (recorded on the Ragman Rolls) to King Edward I of England during the latter's brief conquest of Scotland in 1296. Another early Scottish record of this surname dates back to 1372, when one Nichol fiz ('son of') Steven, chaplain of Scotland, was given a license to take shipping at London or Dovorre. 2

The name is "confined for the most part to the northern half of England, being especially frequent in county Durham, and afterwards in the North and East Ridings and Northumberland. It is also well established in Lincolnshire, and has made a substantial advance into the midlands as far as Warwickshire. Strangely enough it has an independent home in Sussex and Berks, where Stevens is also common. Generally speaking, however, it is absent or rare in the southern part of England, where its place is supplied by Stephens and Stevens. The Stevensons extend in force across the Scottish border, but do not usually reach beyond the Forth and the Clyde." 3

Early History of the Stemson family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Stemson research. Another 209 words (15 lines of text) covering the years 1388, 1454, 1455, 1477, 1479, 1505, 1548, 1580, 1594, 1781, 1848 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Stemson History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Stemson Spelling Variations

Spelling and translation were not standardized practices until the last few centuries. Spelling variations are extremely common among early Scottish names. Stemson has been spelled Stevenson, Stephenson, Stephinson, Stevenston, Steenson, Stenson, Steinson, Stinson, Stephenton, Stynson, Stevensint, Stevensynd, Stevensent, Stympson, Stevensend, Stevensant, Steanson, Stevensyn, Stephenston, Stephensyn, Stevinson, Stevensan, Stevensind, Stevensane, Stimpson and many more.

Early Notables of the Stemson family

More information is included under the topic Early Stemson Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Stemson family to Ireland

Some of the Stemson family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 81 words (6 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Stemson migration to the United States +

Many who arrived from Scotland settled along the east coast of North America in communities that would go on to become the backbones of the young nations of the United States and Canada. In the American War of Independence, many settlers who remained loyal to England went north to Canada as United Empire Loyalists. Their descendants later began to recover the lost Scottish heritage through events such as the highland games that dot North America in the summer months. Research into various historical records revealed some of first members of the Stemson family emigrate to North America:

Stemson Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

John Stemson, who landed in Virginia in 1715 4

Stemson migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Stemson Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Mr. Samuel Stemson, (b. 1839), aged 29, British farm labourer travelling from London aboard the ship "Matoaka" arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 8th February 1869 5
Mrs. Mary Stemson, (b. 1843), aged 25, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Matoaka" arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 8th February 1869 5
Miss Eliza Stemson, (b. 1865), aged 3, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Matoaka" arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 8th February 1869 5
Miss Emily Stemson, (b. 1867), aged 1, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Matoaka" arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 8th February 1869 5

The Stemson 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: Coelum non solum
Motto Translation: Heaven not earth

Citations +

Smith, Eldson Coles, New Dictionary of American Family Names New York: Harper & Row, 1956. Print
Black, George F., The Surnames of Scotland Their Origin, Meaning and History. New York: New York Public Library, 1946. Print. (ISBN 0-87104-172-3)
Guppy, Henry Brougham, Homes of Family Names in Great Britain. 1890. Print.
Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 17th October 2018). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html