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The proud Norman name of Foyt was developed in England soon after Norman Conquest of England in 1066. It was name for a person with remarkable feet. Nicknames were often used to distinguish a person by a noticeable physical characteristic. In this case the trait may have been very large feet, or feet which were deformed in some way. The name was originally derived from the Old English word fot which meant foot. Alternatively, the name could have been derived from a residence, in other words someone who lived at the "foot of a mountain". For the Footman variation, the obvious occupational origin as a soldier in the infantry applies and not as a domestic servant. 1
The surname Foyt was first found in Cheshire where Ernui Fot was listed as an undertenant in the Domesday Book. The same reference lists Godwin Fot in Kent so one can presume that the name was polygenetic. 2
Another branch was found in the parish of Calstock in Cornwall. "The manor of Harwood or Harewood, which had been held under the dutchy of Cornwall by the family of Foote about fourscore years, was purchased in fee under the Land-tax Redemption Act in 1798, by John Pierson Foote, Esq. by whom it was sold to Thomas Bewes, Esq. Harewood House, which was built by Mr. Foote, is a handsome building situated about one mile from the church." 3
"Bodanua or Bodannan, [in the parish of St. Enoder, Cornwall] belonged for some time to the Footes of Lambesso, of whom it was purchased by Johnson Vivian, Esq." 3
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Foyt research. Another 132 words (9 lines of text) covering the years 1273, 1450, 1520, 1592, 1646, 1649, 1651, 1652, 1679, 1683, 1687, 1720, 1737, 1744, 1754, 1761, 1766, 1767, 1769, 1777, 1779, 1780, 1781, 1782, 1785, 1797, 1810, 1814, 1826, 1833, 1840 and 1867 are included under the topic Early Foyt History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Spelling variations in names were a common occurrence in the eras before English spelling was standardized a few hundred years ago. In the Middle Ages, even the literate regularly changed the spellings of their names as the English language incorporated elements of French, Latin, and other European languages. Many variations of the name Foyt have been found, including Foote, Foot, Fouts and others.
Outstanding amongst the family at this time was Sir Thomas Foote, 1st Baronet (1592-1687), English grocer in London, Sheriff of London in 1646 and Lord Mayor of the City of London in 1649.
Jesse Foote(1744-1826), the English surgeon, was born at Charlton in Wiltshire in 1744. "He received a medical education in London, becoming a member of the Surgeons' Company, and about 1766 went to the West Indies, where he practised for three years in the island of Nevis, returning in 1769...
Another 81 words (6 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Foyt Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
For many English families, the social climate in England was oppressive and lacked opportunity for change. For such families, the shores of Ireland, Australia, and the New World beckoned. They left their homeland at great expense in ships that were overcrowded and full of disease. Many arrived after the long voyage sick, starving, and without a penny. But even those were greeted with greater opportunity than they could have experienced back home. Numerous English settlers who arrived in the United States and Canada at this time went on to make important contributions to the developing cultures of those countries. Many of those families went on to make significant contributions to the rapidly developing colonies in which they settled. Early North American records indicate many people bearing the name Foyt were among those contributors: Paul Foote who landed in Massachusetts in 1620.