Ayrton History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
Early Origins of the Ayrton family
The surname Ayrton was first found in the county of Berwickshire, where Ayton is a small town "which takes its name from the water of Eye, on the banks of which it is situated, is intimately connected with important transactions of early times. It was formerly dependent on the monastery of Coldingham, as appears from charters belonging to that establishment, upon the settlement of which, between the years 1098 and 1107, under the auspices of King Edgar, that monarch made them several grants, including "Eytun" and "aliam Eytun," the latter being Nether Ayton, on the opposite side of the river." 1
One of the first records of the name was William de Eytone who rendered homage to King Edward I in 1296. 2
Early History of the Ayrton family
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Ayrton research. Another 252 words (18 lines of text) covering the years 1170, 1296, 1440, 1460, 1488, 1513, 1570, 1638, 1644, 1672, 1734, 1764, 1777, 1801, 1813, 1826, 1837, 1851 and 1887 are included under the topic Early Ayrton History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Ayrton Spelling Variations
The name, Ayrton, occurred in many references, and from time to time, it was spelt Aiton, Ayton, Aytoun and others.
Early Notables of the Ayrton family
Notable amongst the family name during their early history was Sir Robert Ayton or Aytoun (1570-1638), English poet, who was also a private secretary to the queens of James I and Charles I. He "was a descendant of the Norman house of De Vescy, lords of Sprouston in Northumberland. Gilbert de Vescy, a younger son of the family, settled in Scotland in the reign of King Robert Bruce, having received from him the lands of Aytoun in Berwickshire. Thereupon he changed his name to that of his estate. " 3
"In Berwickshire the Aytouns continued as landowners until James III (1460-1488), when...
Another 108 words (8 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Ayrton Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Ayrton migration to the United States +
The New World beckoned settlers from the Scottish-English borders. They sailed aboard the armada of sailing ships known as the "White Sails" which plied the stormy Atlantic. Some called them, less romantically, the "coffin ships." Among the early settlers bearing the Ayrton surname who came to North America were:
Ayrton Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
- Robert Ayrton, aged 47, who immigrated to America, in 1892
- William E. Ayrton, aged 46, who immigrated to the United States, in 1893
Ayrton Settlers in United States in the 20th Century
- Richard Irving Ayrton, aged 36, who landed in America from London, England, in 1907
- Kate Lovina Ayrton, aged 10, who settled in America from London, England, in 1907
- Henry Ayrton, aged 60, who immigrated to the United States from Bradford, England, in 1909
- Dorothy Emily Ayrton, aged 15, who landed in America from Oyleforth, England, in 1911
- Robert Ayrton, aged 53, who landed in America from London, England, in 1915
- ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
Ayrton migration to New Zealand +
Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:
Ayrton Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century
- Mr. John Ayrton, (b. 1837), aged 28, British shoemaker travelling from London aboard the ship "Eastern Empire" arriving in Lyttelton, Canterbury, New Zealand on 4th January 1865 4
Contemporary Notables of the name Ayrton (post 1700) +
- Edmund Ayrton (1734-1808), English organist, born at Ripon, Master of the Children of the Chapel Royal 5
- Norman Ayrton (b. 1924), English actor, director, and theatre instructor
- Neil Ayrton (b. 1962), former English professional footballer
- Michael Ayrton (1920-1975), English painter and sculptor
- Matilda Chaplin Ayrton (1846-1883), British physician, first wife of William Edward Ayrton 5
- William Edward Ayrton FRS (1847-1908), British physicist and engineer
- Randle Ayrton (1869-1940), British actor, producer and director
- Ormrod Maxwell Ayrton (1874-1960), Scottish architect
- Phoebe Sarah Hertha Ayrton (1854-1923), British mathematician and physicist, second wife of William Edward Ayrton
- Edward R. Ayrton (1882-1914), British Egyptologist and archaeologist
- ... (Another 2 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
Citations +
- Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
- Black, George F., The Surnames of Scotland Their Origin, Meaning and History. New York: New York Public Library, 1946. Print. (ISBN 0-87104-172-3)
- Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print
- New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 17th October 2018). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
- Wikisource contributors. "Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900." Wikisource . Wikisource , 4 Jun. 2018. Web. 6 June 2019