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The Norman Conquest of England in 1066 added many new elements to an already vibrant culture. Among these were thousands of new names. The Felthan family lived in Middlesex, where they were Lords of the Manor of Feltham.
The surname Felthan was first found in Middlesex at Feltham, today a suburban town in the London Borough of Hounslow, West London. "This place, which is noticed in Domesday Book, is supposed to have been originally called Feldham, signifying 'the field village.' " 1 Actually the parish dates back to Saxon times when in 969 it was known as Feltham. 2
The aforementioned Domesday Book actually lists the parish as Felteham. 3 The lands were originally granted by the Count of Mortaine on behalf of Duke William. They were Lords of the manor of Feltham, and under tenants to the Count, and the name emerged as de Feltham. The manor house and nearly the entire village was rebuilt in 1634 after and accidental fire which also claimed the parish records.
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Felthan research. Another 67 words (5 lines of text) covering the years 1602, 1620, 1631 and 1668 are included under the topic Early Felthan History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Norman surnames are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. The frequent changes in surnames are largely due to the fact that the Old and Middle English languages lacked definite spelling rules. The introduction of Norman French to England, as well as the official court languages of Latin and French, also had pronounced influences on the spelling of surnames. Since medieval scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded, rather than adhering to any specific spelling rules, it was common to find the same individual referred to with different spellings. The name has been spelled Fealtham, Feltham, Feltam, Fealtam and others.
Outstanding amongst the family at this time was Owen Feltham (1602-1668), an English writer, author of a book entitled Resolves, Divine, Moral, and Political (c. 1620.) He "was son of Thomas Felltham of Mutford in Suffolk, and of Mary, daughter of John Ufflete of Somerleyton in Suffolk. From a Latin epitaph in the church of...
Another 55 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Felthan Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Many English families emigrated to North American colonies in order to escape the political chaos in Britain at this time. Unfortunately, many English families made the trip to the New World under extremely harsh conditions. Overcrowding on the ships caused the majority of the immigrants to arrive diseased, famished, and destitute from the long journey across the stormy Atlantic. Despite these hardships, many of the families prospered and went on to make invaluable contributions to the development of the cultures of the United States and Canada. Early North American immigration records have revealed a number of people bearing the name Felthan or a variant listed above: Thomas Feltham settled in Virginia in 1649; Joseph Feltham arrived in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1846; In Newfoundland, John Feltham held fishing rights at Pig Island in 1803.