Ascott History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

The proud Ascott family originated in Cornwall, a rugged coastal region in southwestern England. In early times, people were known by only a single name. However, as the population grew and people traveled further afield, it became increasingly necessary to assume an additional name to differentiate between bearers of the same personal name. The manner in which hereditary surnames arose is interesting. Local surnames are derived from where the original bearer lived, was born, or held land. The Ascott family originally lived in Arscott, in Devon of perhaps Arscott in Shropshire (Salop.)

Alternatively, the Ascott variant, derived from the Old English words "east" + "cot," meaning "eastern cottages," [1] can be found in Berkshire, Warwickshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire. [2] The Berkshire parish is the oldest, dating back to 1177 when it was known as Estcota. Ascott-under-Wychwood in Oxfordshire literally means "near the fortest of Wynchwood." [1]

Early Origins of the Ascott family

The surname Ascott was first found in Devon, where "Tetcott was the last seat of the family of Arscott, who died out in the male line in 1788." [3]

Other early records include: William de Ardescote who was listed in the Hundredorum Rolls of 1255 in Shropshire. William de Hassecote was found in Cornwall in 1201. [4]

As far as the Ascott variant, the first record was Ricahrd de Askote in 1375. [4]

Early History of the Ascott family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Ascott research. Another 82 words (6 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Ascott History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Ascott Spelling Variations

Cornish surnames are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. The frequent changes in surnames are due to the fact that the Old and Middle English languages lacked definite spelling rules. The official court languages, which were Latin and French, were also influential on the spelling of a surname. Since the spelling of surnames was rarely consistent in medieval times, and scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded rather than adhering to any specific spelling rules, it was common to find the same individual referred to with different spellings of their surname in the ancient chronicles. Moreover, a large number of foreign names were brought into England, which accelerated and accentuated the alterations to the spelling of various surnames. Lastly, spelling variations often resulted from the linguistic differences between the people of Cornwall and the rest of England. The Cornish spoke a unique Brythonic Celtic language which was first recorded in written documents during the 10th century. However, they became increasingly Anglicized, and Cornish became extinct as a spoken language in 1777, although it has been revived by Cornish patriots in the modern era. The name has been spelled Arscot, Ascot, Arscott, Ascott, Asscot, Asscott and others.

Early Notables of the Ascott family (pre 1700)

More information is included under the topic Early Ascott Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Ascott migration to the United States +

In the immigration and passenger lists a number of early immigrants bearing the name Ascott were found:

Ascott Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Patrick Ascott, who arrived in Virginia in 1651 [5]
Patrick Ascott who settled in Virginia in 1653
John Ascott, who settled in New York, NY in 1661

Ascott Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

William Ascott, who settled in Charles Town [Charleston], South Carolina in 1823

Contemporary Notables of the name Ascott (post 1700) +

Shirley Ascott (b. 1930), British sprint canoer at the 1952 Summer Olympics
Leslie Ascott (1921-2013), Canadian CFL football player with the Toronto Argonauts (1940-1953), five-time Grey Cup Champion
Roy Ascott (b. 1934), British artist and theorist, President of the Planetary Collegium

Citations +

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.
Worth, R.N., A History of Devonshire London: Elliot Stock, 62, Paternoster Row, E.G., 1895. Digital
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
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)