Laughton History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
The name Laughton belongs to the early history of Britain, it's origins lie with the Anglo-Saxons. It is a product of their having lived in the village of Lawton which was in both Cheshire and Herefordshire. This place-name was originally derived from the Old English words hlaw tun, which means that the original bearers of the surname lived in the farm that was located on the hill.
Early Origins of the Laughton family
The surname Laughton was first found in Cheshire where the parish named Laughton dates back to at least the Domesday Book where it was listed as Lestone 1. Church Lawton is a small village and civil parish in Cheshire East and was recorded in the Domesday Book as Lautune. There are at least three other listings of places now named Laughton in the Domesday Book: Lachestone in Leicester, Lastone in Yorkshire and finally Loctone in Lincolnshire. The latter is believed to have been derived from the Old English words "loc" + "tun" and meant "enclosure that can be locked" 2
The parish of Lowton in Lancashire "gave name to a family who subsequently adopted the surname of Kenyon from their possessions in a neighbouring township." 3
Lorton is a parish, in the union of Cockermouth, Allerdale ward above Derwent in Cumberland. It comprises two small villages Low Lorton and High Lorton and dates back to c. 1150 when it was known as Loretona. It probably meant "farmstead on a stream called Hlora" from the Viking river name meaning "roaring one" + and the Old English word "tun." 2
Early History of the Laughton family
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Laughton research. Another 77 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1250, 1660, 1670, 1693, 1721 and 1723 are included under the topic Early Laughton History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Laughton Spelling Variations
Until the dictionary, an invention of only the last few hundred years, the English language lacked any comprehensive system of spelling rules. Consequently, spelling variations in names are frequently found in early Anglo-Saxon and later Anglo-Norman documents. One person's name was often spelled several different ways over a lifetime. The recorded variations of Laughton include Lawton, Laughton, Loughmane and others.
Early Notables of the Laughton family
Distinguished members of the family include
- Richard Laughton (c. 1670-1723) was an English churchman and academic, now known as a natural philosopher, he was s tring proponent of Isaac Newton...
Migration of the Laughton family to Ireland
Some of the Laughton family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt. More information about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Laughton migration to the United States +
Thousands of English families boarded ships sailing to the New World in the hope of escaping the unrest found in England at this time. Although the search for opportunity and freedom from persecution abroad took the lives of many because of the cramped conditions and unsanitary nature of the vessels, the opportunity perceived in the growing colonies of North America beckoned. Many of the settlers who survived the journey went on to make important contributions to the transplanted cultures of their adopted countries. The Laughton were among these contributors, for they have been located in early North American records:
Laughton Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
- Leon and Robert Laughton, who settled in Virginia in 1636
- Leon Laughton, who arrived in Virginia in 1636 4
- Thomas Laughton, who arrived in Lynn, Massachusetts in 1638 4
Laughton Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
- James Laughton, who landed in New York in 1795 4
Laughton Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
- John Laughton, who landed in America in 1807 4
- Robert Laughton, who landed in New York, NY in 1816 4
- J Laughton, who arrived in San Francisco, California in 1851 4
Laughton migration to Australia +
Emigration to
Australia followed the
First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:
Laughton Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
- Mr. William Laughton, English convict who was convicted in Lincoln, Lincolnshire, England for life, transported aboard the "Fairlie" on 14th October 1833, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 5
- J. Laughton, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Emily" in 1849 6
- James Laughton, aged 22, who arrived in South Australia in 1849 aboard the ship "Emily" 6
- James Laughton, aged 19, who arrived in South Australia in 1852 aboard the ship "Adelaide" 7
Laughton 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:
Laughton Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century
- Mr. Laughton, British settler travelling from United Kingdom aboard the ship "Dominion" arriving in Otago, South Island, New Zealand on 28th September 1851 8
Contemporary Notables of the name Laughton (post 1700) +
- Charles Laughton (1899-1962), Academy Award-winning English stage and film actor, screenwriter, producer and one-time director; he won the New York Film Critics' Circle Awards for Mutiny on the Bounty and Ruggles of Red Gap in 1935 and became an American citizen in 1950
- Charles E. Laughton (1846-1895), American politician and attorney, 1st Lieutenant Governor of Washington (1889-1893), 5th Lieutenant Governor of Nevada (1883-1887)
- Alaine Laughton (b. 1978), known by her first name, is a Jamaican American reggae singer and songwriter
- F. M. Laughton, American Democratic Party politician, Mayor of Bangor, Maine, 1875 9
- Stephen Laughton (b. 1981), English playwright
- Professor Michael Arthur Laughton FREng (b. 1934), English Emeritus Professor of Electrical Engineering at Queen Mary, University of London
- Charles Douglas "Doug" Laughton (b. 1944), English former rugby league footballer and coach
- Dot Laughton (1913-1982), Australian cricketer for the Australia National Team, eponym of The Dot Laughton Trophy
- Stuart John Laughton (b. 1951), Canadian musician, founder and Artistic Director of The Forest Festival
- Scott Glenn Laughton (b. 1994), Canadian professional NHL ice hockey centre
- ... (Another 6 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
Citations +
- Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
- Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
- Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
- 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 21st September 2022). https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/fairlie
- State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) The EMILY 1849. Retrieved from http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1849Emily.htm
- South Australian Register Tuesday 3 February 1852. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) ADELAIDE 1852. Retrieved http://www.theshipslist.com/ships/australia/adelaide1852.shtml
- New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 17th October 2018). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
- The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, October 7) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html