Barthlett History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

The name Barthlett arrived in England after the Norman Conquest of 1066. The name Barthlett comes from the personal name Bartholomew, and in its altered form is a baptismal name meaning Bartholomew. As the naming tradition grew in Europe baptismal names began to be introduced in many countries. Baptismal names were sometimes given in honor of Christian saints and other biblical figures. There are very few Christian countries in Europe that did not adopt surnames from these religious figures.

Early Origins of the Barthlett family

The surname Barthlett was first found in Sussex, where "the head of this family, according to Dallaway, may be considered one of the most ancient proprietors of land residing upon this estate in this county. The first in the pedigree is Adam de Bartelott, said to be of Norman origin, father of John, who married Joan Stopham, coheiress of lands in the manor from whence the name is derived." 1

Another reference claim "the Barttelots of Stopham have a tradition that they came into England at the Conquest, and settled at a place called La Ford, in that parish, in which they still reside." 2

In Norfolk, Godricus Bertelot was recorded c. 1157 and later the Subsidy Rolls of Sussex recorded Walter Bertelot in 1296. Thomas Bartelot was listed in the Feet of Fines for Cambridgeshire in 1294 and in the Subsidy Rolls for Sussex in 1327. 3

The church of Stopham contains a long series of the family's monuments. "The church is partly in the early and partly in the decorated English style, with a square tower; the pavement is almost entirely composed of large slabs of Sussex marble, inlaid with brass figures and memorials of the Barttelot family, and in the windows are representations of some of the Barttelots and Stophams in stained glass, said to have been removed from the ball windows of the old manor-house." 4

"The variants were numerous. It is quite evident that Bartlet or Bartlot was the popular nick, for this then favourite Apostolic name." For this reason, the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 attempts to show the various spellings: Bartelot (without surname), Bedfordshire; Thomas Bartholot, Cambridgeshire; William Bartolot, Oxfordshire; Bartelot Govi, Huntingdonshire; Alan Bartelet, Cambridgeshire; and Richard Bartelot, Oxfordshire. 5

To the north in Yorkshire, the Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379 included: Thomas Bartlot; and Robertus Bartlot. 5

Early History of the Barthlett family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Barthlett research. Another 66 words (5 lines of text) covering the years 1069, 1471, 1501, 1557, 1566, 1662, 1682 and 1944 are included under the topic Early Barthlett History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Barthlett Spelling Variations

Endless spelling variations are a prevailing characteristic of Norman surnames. Old and Middle English lacked any definite spelling rules, and the introduction of Norman French added an unfamiliar ingredient to the English linguistic stew. French and Latin, the languages of the court, also influenced spellings. Finally, Medieval scribes generally spelled words according to how they sounded, so one person was often referred to by different spellings in different documents. The name has been spelled Bartlett, Bartlet, Bartlette, Bartolet, Bartelot and many more.

Early Notables of the Barthlett family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was John Barthlet or Bartlett (fl. 1566), an English theological writer. John Bartlet (fl. 1662), was an English nonconformist divine, educated at the University of Cambridge and William Bartlet (died 1682), was an English independent minister, educated at New Inn Hall, Oxford. 6Richard Bartlot (1471-1557), was an English physician, Fellow of All Souls' College, and took the degree...
Another 65 words (5 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Barthlett Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Barthlett family

To escape the political and religious persecution within England at the time, many English families left for the various British colonies abroad. The voyage was extremely difficult, though, and the cramped, dank ships caused many to arrive in the New World diseased and starving. But for those who made it, the trip was most often worth it. Many of the families who arrived went on to make valuable contributions to the emerging nations of Canada and the United States. An inquiry into the early roots of North American families reveals a number of immigrants bearing the name Barthlett or a variant listed above: Thomas Bartlett who settled in Watertown, Massachusetts from Sussex, England in 1634; John Bartlett settled in Newbury, Massachusetts from Kent, England in 1635.

Citations +

Shirley, Evelyn Philip, The Noble and Gentle Men of England; The Arms and Descents. Westminster: John Bower Nichols and Sons, 1866, Print.
Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print