| ![Show Contents]() Stopes History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
The name Stopes is part of the ancient legacy of the early Norman inhabitants that arrived in England after the Norman Conquest of 1066. Stopes was a Norman name used for a a short or stocky person, having derived from the Old English word stybb, of the same meaning. A broad and miscellaneous class of surnames, nickname surnames referred to a characteristic of the first person who used the name. They can describe the bearer's favored style of clothing, appearance, habits, or character. 1 Early Origins of the Stopes familyThe surname Stopes was first found in Staffordshire where they were granted lands at Water-Eaton and Bloxwich by William the Conqueror for their assistance at the Battle of Hastings in 1066. There are elaborate accounts of this family's descent from Belmeis or Beaumeis from Beaumeis-Sur-Dive from Calvados in Normandy through Richard Belmeis, the founder of the family, who was a follower of Roger de Montogomery who was Sheriff of Shropshire and later Bishop of London, about 1100. 2 One of the earliest records of the family was Aelfeah Stybb who was listed in the source Old English Bynames c. 1000. Later Richard Stubbe was a Knights Templar in Yorkshire in 1185. Geoffrey de Stubbes was found in the Pipe Rolls for Norfolk in 1199 and Robert del Stobbes was found in the Assize Rolls for Cheshire in 1288. Roger de Stoppes was listed in the Assize Rolls for London in 1276 and later, Robert Stope was listed in Yorkshire in 1408. 3 Thomas Stubbs (fl. 1373), an English "chronicler, [who] is said by Bale to have been a native of Yorkshire and a Dominican friar. " 4 Early History of the Stopes familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Stopes research. Another 118 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1521, 1540, 1544, 1577, 1587, 1624, 1632, 1676, 1714, 1724 and 1806 are included under the topic Early Stopes History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Stopes Spelling VariationsAnglo-Norman names tend to be marked by an enormous number of spelling variations. This is largely due to the fact that Old and Middle English lacked any spelling rules when Norman French was introduced in the 11th century. The languages of the English courts at that time were French and Latin. These various languages mixed quite freely in the evolving social milieu. The final element of this mix is that medieval scribes spelled words according to their sounds rather than any definite rules, so a name was often spelled in as many different ways as the number of documents it appeared in. The name was spelled Stubbs, Stubs, Stubbes, Stubb, Stubbe and others. Early Notables of the Stopes familyOutstanding amongst the family at this time was - Leonard Stopes (1540?-1587?), was an English priest, "born about 1540, probably belonged to the branch of the family of Stopes settled at Much Hadham in Hertfordshire, and may have been brother of Jam...
- Richard Stopes (fl. 1521-1544), was the last abbot of Meaux and studied at St. Bernard's College, Oxford
 Migration of the Stopes family to Ireland
Some of the Stopes family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt. More information about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Migration of the Stopes familyBecause of the political and religious discontent in England, families began to migrate abroad in enormous numbers. Faced with persecution and starvation at home, the open frontiers and generally less oppressive social environment of the New World seemed tantalizing indeed to many English people. The trip was difficult, and not all made it unscathed, but many of those who did get to Canada and the United States made important contributions to the young nations in which they settled. Some of the first North American settlers with Stopes name or one of its variants: John Stubb who settled in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1846; Mr. Stubbe, his wife and five children settled in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1792; Daniell and Hontford Stubbs settled in Virginia in 1637.
| Contemporary Notables of the name Stopes (post 1700) | + |
- Marie Charlotte Carmichael Stopes (1880-1958), Scottish author, palaeobotanist and campaigner for eugenics and women's rights who made significant contributions to plant palaeontology and coal classification, the first female academic on the faculty of the University of Manchester
- Henry Stopes (1852-1902), English brewer, architect and amateur palaeontologist of repute in late 19th century London, husband of Shakespearean scholar and feminist, Charlotte Carmichael Stopes, and father of Marie Stopes, the birth control advocate
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: Cedant arma labori
Motto Translation: Let arms give place to labour
- Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
- The Norman People and Their Existing Descendants in the British Dominions and the United States Of America. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing, 1975. Print. (ISBN 0-8063-0636-X)
- Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
- Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print
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England
Ireland
