Strafford History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

The Strafford surname is a habitation name derived from one of various places, so named. These place names come from the Old English words "stroet," and "ford;" thus describing a location where the road crossed a stream. Places named Stratford that can be found in the Domesday Book include towns in Suffolk, Wiltshire, and of course Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire, held at that time by the Bishop of Worcester.

Early Origins of the Strafford family

The surname Strafford was first found in Suffolk where a Robert de Stratford was listed in the Domesday Book, as holding the Hundred of Samford both before and after the Conquest.

John de Stratford (died 1348) was Archbishop of Canterbury and Treasurer and Chancellor of England. He was born at Stratford-on-Avon, where he and his brother Robert de Stratford (died 1362) held property. His father, the elder Robert de Stratford is attributed the foundation in 1296 of the chapel of the guild at Stratford and of the almshouses in connection therewith.

Ralph de Stratford (died 1354), was Bishop of London and probably the son of a sister of John de Stratford, Archbishop of Canterbury, and of Robert de Stratford, Bishop of Chichester. 1

Early History of the Strafford family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Strafford research. Another 81 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1273, 1379, 1589, 1602, 1633, 1640, 1660, 1689, 1698, 1707, 1727, 1736, 1739 and 1777 are included under the topic Early Strafford History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Strafford Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Stratford, Strafford and others.

Early Notables of the Strafford family

Another 41 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Strafford Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Strafford family to Ireland

Some of the Strafford family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 61 words (4 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Strafford migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Strafford Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

John Strafford, who arrived in Michigan in 1884 2

Strafford migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Strafford Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Mr. Benajmin Strafford, English convict who was convicted in Surrey, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Dromedary" on 11th September 1819, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 3
Mr. Thomas Strafford, English convict who was convicted in West Riding, Yorkshire, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Blenheim" on 11th March 1837, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 4

Contemporary Notables of the name Strafford (post 1700) +

Thomas Wentworth Strafford (1593-1641), English statesman
Air Marshal Stephen Charles Strafford CB, CBE, DFC, RAF (1898-1966), Royal Naval Air Service pilot in the during World War I

The Strafford 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: Virtuti nihil obstat et armis
Motto Translation: Nothing resists valour and arms.

Citations +

Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. 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)
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 16th July 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/dromedary
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 15th October 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/blenheim