Gillott History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
The vast movement of people that followed the Norman Conquest of England in 1066 brought the Gillott family name to the British Isles. Gillott comes from a diminution of the medieval given name Giles. That name is derived from the Greek aigidion, which means kid, or young goat. 1
"In England there are numerous families who write their name Gillett and Gillot, all of French extraction." 2
"Oxfordshire is now the principal home of the Gilletts, but the name is also found in Kent. In Lincolnshire the name is represented by Gilliart, Gilliatt, and Gillyatt." 3
"The family may have come with William the Conqueror into England, from Gillette, a town in Piedmont, France. Gillette, the son of Giles." 4
Early Origins of the Gillott family
The surname Gillott was first found in Oxfordshire, but also many other shires throughout ancient Britain. Listed as both a forename and surname in many early rolls, the name quickly spread.
This tradition continued even until the 14th century where the Yorkshire Polls Tax Rolls of 1379 list: Thomas Taylour et Gillot uxor ejus; Robertus Lyster et Gillot' uxor ejus; Gillote Fox; Johannes Gilotson; Willelmus Gilliote; Johannes Undyrhyll et Gyllot' uxor ejus; Willelmus Gehot; and Johannes Gylyott. 5
Early History of the Gillott family
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Gillott research. Another 68 words (5 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Gillott History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Gillott Spelling Variations
Multitudes of spelling variations are a hallmark of Anglo Norman names. Most of these names evolved in the 11th and 12th century, in the time after the Normans introduced their own Norman French language into a country where Old and Middle English had no spelling rules and the languages of the court were French and Latin. To make matters worse, medieval scribes spelled words according to sound, so names frequently appeared differently in the various documents in which they were recorded. The name was spelled Gillette, Gilliott, Gillet, Gillott, Gillett and others.
Early Notables of the Gillott family
More information is included under the topic Early Gillott Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Gillott migration to the United States +
Because of this political and religious unrest within English society, many people decided to immigrate to the colonies. Families left for Ireland, North America, and Australia in enormous numbers, traveling at high cost in extremely inhospitable conditions. The New World in particular was a desirable destination, but the long voyage caused many to arrive sick and starving. Those who made it, though, were welcomed by opportunities far greater than they had known at home in England. Many of these families went on to make important contributions to the emerging nations of Canada and the United States. Analysis of immigration records indicates that some of the first North American immigrants bore the name Gillott or a variant listed above:
Gillott Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
- Thomas Gillott, who landed in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1682 6
Gillott Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
- Joseph Gillott, who arrived in New York State in 1830
- Joseph Gillott, who settled in New York in 1830
- George Gillott, who arrived in New York, NY in 1830 6
- Joseph Gillott, who landed in America in 1830 6
Gillott migration to Australia +
Emigration to
Australia followed the
First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:
Gillott Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
- Mr. Charles Gillott, English convict who was convicted in Cambridge, Cambridgeshire, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Captain Cook" on 2nd May 1833, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 7
- Mr. Richard Gillott who was convicted in Nottingham, Nottinghamshire, England for life, transported aboard the "David Malcolm" on 13th May 1845, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) and Norfolk Island 8
- James Gillott, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Panama" in 1850 9
Gillott 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:
Gillott Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century
- William Gillott, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Armstrong" in 1865
Contemporary Notables of the name Gillott (post 1700) +
- Peter Gillott (1935-2021), English footballer who played as a full back (1953-1970)
- Joseph Gillott (1799-1872), English pen-maker and patron of the arts from Sheffield, founder of Joseph Gillott's in 1827, a company based in Birmingham, England that produces high-quality dip pens 10
- Sir Samuel Gillott (1838-1913), English-born, Australian lawyer and politician from Sheffield, 47th Mayor of Melbourne (1900-1902), 48th Lord Mayor of Melbourne (1902-1903)
- Eric Kenneth Gillott (b. 1951), New Zealand former first class cricketer who played three Tests
Citations +
- Smith, Eldson Coles, New Dictionary of American Family Names New York: Harper & Row, 1956. Print
- Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
- Guppy, Henry Brougham, Homes of Family Names in Great Britain. 1890. Print.
- Arthur, William , An Etymological Dictionary of Family and Christian Names. London: 1857. Print
- Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
- Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
- Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 17th December 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/captain-cook
- Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 21st June 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/david-malcolm
- State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) PANAMA 1850. Retrieved from http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1850Panama.gif
- Wikisource contributors. "Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900." Wikisource . Wikisource , 4 Jun. 2018. Web. 30 June 2020
