Topham History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
Early Origins of the Topham family
The surname Topham was first found in the North Riding of Yorkshire at Agelthorpe of Agglethorpe, a township, in the parish of Coverham, union of Leyburn, wapentake of Hang-West. "The monks of Coverham had land here, valued at £1. 6. 8. per annum; and the village, which is situated on the northern acclivity of the romantic Coverdale, is remarkable for its ancient Hall, now a farmhouse, which once belonged to the Topham family." 1
"Topsham [Devon] in all probability affords an instance of the preservation of a personal name from Saxon days, and is equivalent to ' Topa's ham.' In the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries it was frequently called Apsom. It is Topeshant in ' Domesday.' " 2
Early History of the Topham family
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Topham research. Another 83 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1639, 1664, 1671, 1695, 1710, 1713, 1749, 1751 and 1820 are included under the topic Early Topham History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Topham Spelling Variations
Spelling variations of this family name include: Topham, Topam, Toppam and others.
Early Notables of the Topham family
Distinguished members of the family include
- Edward Topham (1751-1820), English journalist, playwright, poet, and landowner from Wold Newton, Yorkshire; and Thomas Topham (c. 1710 - 1749), famous English strongman
Topham migration to the United States +
Some of the first settlers of this family name were:
Topham Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
- Christopher Topham, who arrived in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1703-1704 3
- William Topham, who arrived in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1746 3
Topham Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
- Robert Topham who settled in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1820 with a child
- Mr. and Mrs. Topham, who settled in Charles Town [Charleston], South Carolina in 1821
Topham migration to Canada +
Some of the first settlers of this family name were:
Topham Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century
- Richard Topham, who settled in Nova Scotia with his wife and child in 1774
Topham migration to Australia +
Emigration to
Australia followed the
First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:
Topham Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
Contemporary Notables of the name Topham (post 1700) +
- Lawrence Rey Topham, American politician, Representative from Utah 2nd District, 1990; Independent American Candidate for U.S. Senator from Utah, 1994 5
- John G. Topham, American politician, U.S. Consular Agent in Lanzarote, 1884-98 5
- Anthony "Top" Topham (1947-2023), English musician and visual artist best known as a blues guitarist and for being the first lead guitarist of The Yardbirds
- Thomas Topham (1710-1749), English ‘strong man,’ born in London; he exhibited throughout England including one time when he was lying extended between two chairs, with a glass of wine in his right hand, and five gentlemen standing on his body 6
- John Topham (1746-1803), English antiquary, born at Elmly, near Huddersfield, the third son of Matthew Topham (d. 1773), vicar of Withernwick and Mapleton in Yorkshire
- Francis Topham (1808-1877), English watercolour-painter, born at Leeds, Yorkshire
- Edward Topham (1751-1820), English journalist and play-writer, the son of Francis Topham, LL.D. (d. 1770), master of faculties and judge of the prerogative court at York
- Thomas Topham (1702-1749), famous English strong man
- Harry Gillespie Topham (1862-1925), English clergyman and cricketer
- Robert Topham (1867-1931), English international footballer
- ... (Another 4 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
Historic Events for the Topham family +
- Mr. Thomas Topham (b. 1919), English Able Seaman serving for the Royal Navy from Alvaston, Derbyshire, England, who sailed into battle and died in the HMS Hood sinking 7
The Topham 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: Ut vivas vigila
Motto Translation: Watch that you may live.
Citations +
- Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
- Worth, R.N., A History of Devonshire London: Elliot Stock, 62, Paternoster Row, E.G., 1895. Digital
- 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 22nd December 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/caroline
- The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, November 12) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
- Wikisource contributors. "Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900." Wikisource . Wikisource , 4 Jun. 2018. Web. 30 Jan. 2019
- H.M.S. Hood Association-Battle Cruiser Hood: Crew Information - H.M.S. Hood Rolls of Honour, Men Lost in the Sinking of H.M.S. Hood, 24th May 1941. (Retrieved 2016, July 15) . Retrieved from http://www.hmshood.com/crew/memorial/roh_24may41.htm