Moreton History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
The surname Moreton is a habitation name; derived from one of several places so named in England and Scotland. The place name was made up of the Old English elements "morr," meaning "marsh, or moor," and "tun," meaning en enclosure or settlement, collectively, "the moor-ton, the farm or enclosure on the moor." 1 2 3
Early Origins of the Moreton family
The surname Moreton was first found in Wiltshire, where a Robert de Mortone was recorded in the Pipe Rolls for that county in 1130. As this name was formed from several different place names, entirely different lines of the Moreton surname arose throughout Britain. Other early records of the name include: William de Morton, on record in 1218 in the Feet of Fines for Oxford; and Thomas Morton, on record in the Feet of Fines for Surrey in 1432-33. 4
Another source states: "Cardinal Morton, Archbishop of Canterbury and Lord Chancellor, temp. Henry Vii., was probably a descendant of the Norman knight. From the Cardinal's brother, Richard, descended the Mortons of Milbourne St. Andrew, co. Dorset, raised to the degree of baronets in 1619. " 5
Over in Lache-Dennis, Cheshire another early record of the family was found. "Ancient records mention a manor of Lach-Dennis or Lach-Park, near Rudheath, which, in the reign of Edward II., belonged to the Moreton family." 6
The Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 proved the wide migration of the family at that time: Robert de Morton, Nottinghamshire; Egidius de Morton, Northamptonshire; Richard de Morton, Oxfordshire; and Felicia de Morton, Lincolnshire. All held lands in their respective counties. 1
The Testa de Nevill, sive Liber Feodorum, temp. Henry III-Edward I listed: Alicia de Morton, Yorkshire, Henry III- Edward I; and Michael de Morton, Salop (Shropshire.) 7
In Yorkshire, early records there show Rogerus de Morton and Johannes de Morton as holding lands there in 1379, according to the Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls. 1
The Register of the University of Oxford shows John Morton, Leicestershire as attending there in 1594.
Early History of the Moreton family
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Moreton research. Another 51 words (4 lines of text) covering the years 1066, 1087, 1420, 1486, 1487, 1493, 1500, 1564, 1616, 1626, 1627, 1637, 1641, 1645, 1659, 1661, 1662, 1682, 1685, 1698, 1699, 1705, 1715, 1716, 1721 and 1889 are included under the topic Early Moreton History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Moreton Spelling Variations
Spelling variations of this family name include: Morton, Moreton, Moretone, Morten, Mortyn and others.
Early Notables of the Moreton family
Notables of this surname at this time include:
- William Moreton (1641-1715), an English prelate in the Church of Ireland who served as the Bishop of Meath from 1705-1716
Migration of the Moreton family to Ireland
Some of the Moreton family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 33 words (2 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Moreton migration to the United States +
Some of the first settlers of this family name were:
Moreton Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
- John Moreton, who landed in New England in 1663 8
- Mathew Moreton, who settled in Virginia in 1698
Moreton Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
- William Moreton, who landed in New York, NY in 1804 8
- Francis James Moreton, aged 18, who landed in America in 1885 8
- Reynolds Moreton, who arrived in Iowa in 1885 8
- Henry I Moreton, who arrived in Iowa in 1886 8
Moreton migration to Australia +
Emigration to
Australia followed the
First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:
Moreton Settlers in Australia in the 18th Century
- Mr. Edward Moreton, English convict who was convicted in Shropshire, England for 14 years, transported aboard the "Barwell" in September 1797, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 9
- Miss Ann Moreton, English convict who was convicted in Middlesex, England for 7 years , transported aboard the "Britannia III" on 18th July 1798, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 10
Moreton Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
- John Moreton, English convict from Worcester, who was transported aboard the "Almorah" on April 1817, settling in New South Wales, Australia 11
- William Moreton, English convict from Worcester, who was transported aboard the "Almorah" on April 1817, settling in New South Wales, Australia 11
- Mr. Henry Moreton, English convict who was convicted in Gloucester, Gloucestershire, England for life, transported aboard the "Baring" in December 1818, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 12
- Mr. John Moreton, English convict who was convicted in Middlesex, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Eliza" on 22nd September 1819, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 13
- John Moreton, English convict from Lancaster, who was transported aboard the "America" on April 4, 1829, settling in New South Wales, Australia 14
- ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
Moreton migration to West Indies +
The British first settled the British West Indies around 1604. They made many attempts but failed in some to establish settlements on the Islands including Saint Lucia and Grenada. By 1627 they had managed to establish settlements on St. Kitts (St. Christopher) and Barbados, but by 1641 the Spanish had moved in and destroyed some of these including those at Providence Island. The British continued to expand the settlements including setting the First Federation in the British West Indies by 1674; some of the islands include Barbados, Bermuda, Cayman Island, Turks and Caicos, Jamaica and Belize then known as British Honduras. By the 1960's many of the islands became independent after the West Indies Federation which existed from 1958 to 1962 failed due to internal political conflicts. After this a number of Eastern Caribbean islands formed a free association.
15Moreton Settlers in West Indies in the 17th Century
- Edward Moreton, who settled in Barbados in 1685
Contemporary Notables of the name Moreton (post 1700) +
- Raymond Claude "Ray" Moreton (1942-2016), New Zealand rugby union player who played from 1961 to 1965, member of the New Zealand National Team (1962-1965)
- Jacques Henri Sébastien César Moreton, Chabrillant French Field Marshal during the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars from 1789 to 1815 16
- Jacques Aimard de Moreton de Chabrillant, French Divisional General during the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars from 1789 to 1815 16
- Moreton Frewen (1853-1924), English writer on monetary reform, Member of Parliament for North East Cork
Citations +
- Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
- Harrison, Henry, Surnames of the United Kingdom: A Concise Etymological Dictionary Baltimore: Geneological Publishing Company, 2013. Print
- Smith, Eldson Coles, New Dictionary of American Family Names New York: Harper & Row, 1956. Print
- Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
- Burke, John Bernard, The Roll of Battle Abbey. London: Edward Churton, 26, Holles Street, 1848, Print.
- Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
- Testa de Nevill or "Liber Feodorum" or "Book of Fees," thought to have been written by Ralph de Nevill, for King John (1199–1216)
- 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 29th September 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/barwell
- Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 30th October 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/Britannia
- State Library of Queensland. (Retrieved 2016, October 27) Almorah voyage to New South Wales, Australia in 1817 with 180 passengers. Retrieved from http://www.convictrecords.com.au/ships/almorah/1817
- Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 16th September 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/baring
- Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 10th February 2022). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/eliza
- State Library of Queensland. (Retrieved 2014, November 26) America voyage to New South Wales, Australia in 1829 with 176 passengers. Retrieved from http://www.convictrecords.com.au/ships/america/1829
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_West_Indies
- Generals Who Served in the French Army during the Period 1789-1815. (Retrieved 2015, May 6) Jacques Moreton. Retrieved from http://www.napoleon-series.org/research/c_frenchgenerals.html