| ![Show Contents]() Stratus History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
- Origins Available:
 England Stratus is a name that was carried to England in the great wave of migration from Normandy following the Norman Conquest of 1066. The Stratus family lived in Wiltshire, at Stratton. However, there are also parishes in Cornwall, Dorset, Gloucestershire, Norfolk, Buckinghamshire, Hampshire, and Somerset also named Stratton. The reason for the many parishes so named is because of the etymology of the surname as in "one who came from Stratton (homestead on a Roman road.)" 1 However down in Cornwall, in Cornish the name literally means "the hill full of fresh springs." 2 Early Origins of the Stratus familyThe surname Stratus was first found in Wiltshire where it is said that the notorious Adam de Stratton derives from Argouges from Manche in the arrondisement of Avranches in Normandy. Adam de Stratton (died 1292) was a royal moneylender, administrator and clergyman under Edward I of England. He rose to become Chamberlain of the Exchequer and steward of Isabella, Countess of Devon. His father was Thomas de Argoges, or Arwillis, of Stratton St Margaret in Wiltshire. In 1278, he was accused of cutting off the seal of a charter from Quarr Abbey, thereby invalidating its authenticity. This was not the beginning nor the last time he would be associated with dubious activities. On 17 January 1290, he was relieved of his office of chamberlain, along with his temporal possessions. Upon his arrest, he was discovered to have in his possession a vast sum of money and objects associated with witchcraft. He was imprisoned in the Tower of London in 1292 and died by 14 August 1294. Henry de Stratton (died after 1277) was an English clergyman and Crown official who later served as a judge in Ireland. He is chiefly remembered as the brother of the infamous Adam de Stratton. Stratton is a parish in Cornwall in the deanery of Trigg-Major, and in the hundred to which this parish imparts its name. "This circumstance denotes its great antiquity, and discovers that in former ages it presented no contemptible figure on the rolls of fame." 3 Robert de Stretton (died 1385), an English divine, born at Stretton Magna, Leicestershire was Bishop of Coventry and Lichfield and son of Robert Eyryk or de Stretton. "He and his elder brother, Sir William Eyryk, knight (ancestor of the Heyricks of Leicestershire), derived their surnames from Stretton Magna. " 4 Early History of the Stratus familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Stratus research. Another 175 words (12 lines of text) covering the years 1285, 1320 and 1364 are included under the topic Early Stratus History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Stratus Spelling VariationsBefore English spelling was standardized a few hundred years ago, spelling variations of names were a common occurrence. Elements of Latin, Norman French and other languages became incorporated into English throughout the Middle Ages, and name spellings changed even among the literate. The variations of the surname Stratus include Stratton, Straton, Straiton and others. Early Notables of the Stratus familyMore information is included under the topic Early Stratus Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Migration of the Stratus familyIn England at this time, the uncertainty of the political and religious environment of the time caused many families to board ships for distant British colonies in the hopes of finding land and opportunity, and escaping persecution. The voyages were expensive, crowded, and difficult, though, and many arrived in North America sick, starved, and destitute. Those who did make it, however, were greeted with greater opportunities and freedoms that they could have experienced at home. Many of those families went on to make important contributions to the young nations in which they settled. Early immigration records have shown some of the first Stratuss to arrive on North American shores: John Straton who settled in Virginia in 1670; J. Straton settled in San Francisco, Cal. in 1852; Henry Stratton settled in Virginia in 1641; followed by Alice Stratton settled in Virginia in 1652.
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: Resurgere tento
Motto Translation: I strive to rise again.
- Smith, Eldson Coles, New Dictionary of American Family Names New York: Harper & Row, 1956. Print
- Arthur, William , An Etymological Dictionary of Family and Christian Names. London: 1857. Print
- Hutchins, Fortescue, The History of Cornwall, from the Earliest Records and Traditions to the Present Time. London: William Penaluna, 1824. Print
- Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print
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