Athelston History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

Early Origins of the Athelston family

The surname Athelston was first found in Kent where Athelstan or Æthelstan (895-940), was King of the West-Saxons and Mercians, and afterwards of all the English, was the son of Eadward the Elder, and of a noble Lady Ecgwyn. "In all probability he was illegitimate, but by a recognised mistress of noble birth. Born during the lifetime of his grandfather Ælfred, Æthelstan was a favourite of the great West-Saxon king, who gave him as a boy a purple cloak, a jewelled belt, and a sword with a golden scabbard, no doubt to mark him out, in spite of his illegitimacy, as a right ætheling. When the young prince was six years old, Ælfred died. In 925, when Æthelstan was aged thirty, Eadward the Elder died, and the ætheling was at once chosen to succeed him." 1

Early History of the Athelston family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Athelston research. Another 87 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1219, 1455 and 1487 are included under the topic Early Athelston History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Athelston Spelling Variations

Sound was what guided spelling in the essentially pre-literate Middle Ages, so one person's name was often recorded under several variations during a single lifetime. Also, before the advent of the printing press and the first dictionaries, the English language was not standardized. Therefore, spelling variations were common, even among the names of the most literate people. Known variations of the Athelston family name include Athelstan, Athelston, Athelstone, Athilstan, Athilston and many more.

Early Notables of the Athelston family

Distinguished members of the family include

the Athelston family of Lincolnshire

Migration of the Athelston family

For political, religious, and economic reasons, thousands of English families boarded ships for Ireland, Canada, the America colonies, and many of smaller tropical colonies in the hope of finding better lives abroad. Although the passage on the cramped, dank ships caused many to arrive in the New World diseased and starving, those families that survived the trip often went on to make valuable contributions to those new societies to which they arrived. Early immigrants bearing the Athelston surname or a spelling variation of the name include: Reinholt Athelstone, aged 16, who arrived at Ellis Island from Alberta, Canada, in 1908.

Citations +

Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print