Show ContentsStewne History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The name Stewne comes from a name for a stern person. The surname Stewne is derived from the Old English word styrne, which means severe, strict, uncompromising, and austere.

Early Origins of the Stewne family

The surname Stewne was first found in Buckinghamshire where they held a family seat as Lords of the manor of Grendon from early times.

Early History of the Stewne family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Stewne research. Another 57 words (4 lines of text) covering the years 1592, 1596, 1607, 1624, 1642, 1660, 1664, 1669, 1683, 1700, 1713, 1745, 1759 and 1768 are included under the topic Early Stewne History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Stewne Spelling Variations

Until 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 Stewne include Sterne, Stern, Stearn, Stearns and others.

Early Notables of the Stewne family

Notables of the family at this time include John Sterne, Bishop of Colchester in 1592 and held the post until his death in 1607; and Richard Sterne (c. 1596-1683), English Church of England priest, Bishop of Carlisle in 1660, Archbishop of York from 1664 to 1683. He was the alleged author of the 'Whole Duty of Man.' 1 "On the outbreak of the civil war, Sterne zealously adopted the royalist cause, and in August 1642 he arranged for the despatch of large quantities of college plate to the king. Cromwell, however, who, as one of the burgesses of Cambridge, was engaged...
Another 146 words (10 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Stewne Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Ireland Migration of the Stewne family to Ireland

Some of the Stewne family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 173 words (12 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 Stewne family

Searching 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 Stewne or a variant listed above: Abigail and Mary Stearns settled in Salem, Massachusetts in 1630; Isaac Stearns, his wife Mary, his son and four daughters settled in Massachusetts in 1630.



  1. Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print


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