Spottiswood History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
Early Origins of the Spottiswood family
The surname Spottiswood was first found in Berwickshire where "the name is derived from the barony of Spottiswoode. The family were benefactors to the Abbeys of Melrose and Kelso in early times. The immediate ancestor or Spottiswoode, still 'of that Ilk,' was Robert de Spottiswood, who was born in the reign of King Alexander III., and died in that of Robert Bruce. " 1
Early History of the Spottiswood family
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Spottiswood research. Another 131 words (9 lines of text) covering the years 1296, 1510, 1513, 1565, 1567, 1585, 1596, 1597, 1637, 1639, 1645, 1646, 1666, 1676, 1710, 1728, 1740 and 1923 are included under the topic Early Spottiswood History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Spottiswood Spelling Variations
Spelling variations of this family name include: Spottiswood, Spottiswode, Sportwode, Sportwood, Spotswood and many more.
Early Notables of the Spottiswood family
Notable amongst the family name during their early history was
- John Spottiswoode (1565-1639), Archbishop of St Andrews, Primate of All Scotland and historian of Scotland
- James Spottiswood (1567-1645), was Bishop of Clogher, born at Calder in Scotland, the second son of John Spottiswood (1510-1585.) He was younger brother of John Spottiswood (1565-1637), Archbishop of...
- Sir Robert Spottiswoode Lord Newabbey (1596-1646), was a Scottish lawyer and second son of John Spottiswood, Archbishop of St. Andrews
- John Spottiswood, Spottiswoode or Spotiswood (1666-1728) was a Scottish advocate and legal author, the third and only surviving son of Alexander Spottiswoode of Crumstain, advocate
- Alexander Spotswood (c. 1676-1740), born at Tangier, was Lieutenant-Colonel in the British Army and a noted Lieutenant Governor of Virginia. He was the only son of Robert Spotswood and his wife Cather...
Migration of the Spottiswood family to Ireland
Some of the Spottiswood family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 43 words (3 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Spottiswood migration to Australia +
Emigration to
Australia followed the
First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:
Spottiswood Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
- Mr. John Spottiswood who was convicted in York, Yorkshire, England for 10 years, transported aboard the "David Malcolm" on 13th May 1845, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) and Norfolk Island 2
The Spottiswood Motto +
The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.
Motto: Patior ut potiar
Motto Translation: I suffer that I may obtain.
Citations +
- Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
- Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 21st June 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/david-malcolm