Show ContentsAgglionby History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Etymology of Agglionby

What does the name Agglionby mean?

The name Agglionby arrived in England after the Norman Conquest of 1066. The Agglionby family lived in the parish "of Sainte-Marie-de-la-Haie d'Aigullon, which was granted in 1213 by Philip de Vassy to Jordan, Bishop of Bayeux, on the foundation of his abbey of Mondaye. Robert d'Aigullon and his son witness a charter of Stephen, Count of Chartres, in 1100. " 1

" 'Rogerus Aculeus,' a sub-tenant in the Exon Domesday, is believed to be the ancestor of the English house, which first became of note in the reign of Coeur de Lion. One of the first on record was Manser or Manasser de Aguillon, who obtained from the King a confirmation of his land, and died before 1194, when Godfrey de St. Martin paid £100 for license to marry Constance, his widow, 'with her inheritance.' " 2

Early Origins of the Agglionby family

The surname Agglionby was first found in Cumberland where they were Lords of the Manor of Aglionby from very ancient times. They were descended from Ranulph, Earl of Carlisle, Lord of Cumberland and Carlisle, who exchanged the earldom of Chester for that of Carlisle. The Earls of Chester were previously viscounts of Bessin in the department of Calvados in Normandy. The first in Cumberland about 1150 was Walter de Aguilon.

The township of Linstock in Cumberland was home to the family in later years. "A little north-eastward of Linstock is Drawdykes Castle, originally erected with the materials of the Roman wall, which crossed its site, and partially rebuilt in the seventeenth century, by John Aglionby, Esq., recorder of Carlisle, who placed on the battlements three Roman stone busts, which yet remain: this ancient seat is now a farmhouse." 3

"Walter d'Aguilon came [to Cumberland] in the train of Earl Ranulph de Meschines, and gave his name to his dwelling-place, still called the manor of Aguilon, or Aglionby. His descendants remained till 1785, when Christopher Aglionby 'died a bachelor in the flower of his age, the last of the male line of this ancient family.' "-Hutchinson's Cumberland.

Early History of the Agglionby family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Agglionby research. Another 155 words (11 lines of text) covering the years 1286, 1520, 1536, 1583, 1587, 1603, 1610, 1642, 1643, 1705, 1715 and 1780 are included under the topic Early Agglionby History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Agglionby Spelling Variations

Anglo-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 Aglionby, Agglionby, Acclionby, Aclionby and others.

Early Notables of the Agglionby family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was Edward Aglionby (1520-ca. 1587), English poet, educated at Eton, and elected to King's College, Cambridge, 1536, Justice of the Peace in Warwickshire, and wrote a genealogy of Queen Elizabeth and was "born at Carlisle in 1520, and educated at Eton, from whence he was elected in 1536 to a scholarship at King's College, Cambridge." 4 John Aglionby (died ca. 1610), was an eminent divine, son...
Another 72 words (5 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Agglionby Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Agglionby family

Because 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 Agglionby name or one of its variants: Will Aglionby settled in Georgia, no date was recorded.



  1. 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)
  2. Cleveland, Dutchess of The Battle Abbey Roll with some Account of the Norman Lineages. London: John Murray, Abermarle Street, 1889. Print. Volume 1 of 3
  3. Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
  4. Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print


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