Blorthay History, Family Crest & Coats of ArmsThe saga of the name Blorthay begins with a Strathclyde-Briton family in the ancient Scottish/English Borderlands. It is a name for a happy or cheerful person having been derived from the Old English word blithe. 1 2 Alternatively, the name could have originated at Blyth in Northumberland or in the West Riding of Yorkshire. Both parishes derive their name from the Old English "blithe," meaning "the gentle or pleasant one." 3 The Yorkshire parish anciently in Nottinghamshire is the oldest dating back to the Domesday Book of 1086 where it was recorded as Blide. 4 Another source notes "This place, anciently called Blia and Blida, was chiefly noted in former times for its religious and charitable establishments. In 1088, a priory was founded in honour of the Blessed Virgin, by Roger de Builly and his wife Muriel, for monks of the Benedictine order; which, though considered as an alien priory, being in some respects subordinate to the abbey of the Holy Trinity, near Rouen, in Normandy, was yet spared at the suppression of alien priories, and subsisted till the general dissolution, when its revenue was estimated at £126. 8. 2. An hospital for lepers, dedicated to St. John the Evangelist, was founded by Hugh de Cressy, lord of Hodsock, in the reign of John." 5 Early Origins of the Blorthay familyThe surname Blorthay was first found in Berwickshire an ancient county of Scotland, presently part of the Scottish Borders Council Area, located in the eastern part of the Borders Region of Scotland. 6 Blyth was an old barony in the lordship of Lauderdale some time ago. The first on record was of William de Blyth of Chirnesyde in Berwickshire who represented the family and rendered homage to King Edward I of England on his brief conquest of Scotland in 1296. A few years later, the seal of Adam de Blyth was appended to an account of goods purchased at Perth in 1302. James Blyth was burgess of Dundy (Dundee) in 1485. 7 Further south in England, Blythe, Lancashire has an interesting history. It was originally held by Geoffrey Travers, whose son Henry, was called "de Blythe." Henry de Blythe's descendants "John and Robert de Blythe occur among the names of subscribers to the stipend of a chaplain at Ormskirk in 1366 and the latter also in the Poll Tax Roll of 1381. John de Blythe attested Scarisbrick charters in 1399 and 1401, and was the father of Roger, who in 1397 was charged with breaking into the parsonage house at Crossens. From him descended Roger Blythe, whose daughter and heir Margaret by her marriage with John Blakelache (or Blackledge) conveyed the estate to this family. " 8 Another source notes, William de Blithe was listed in the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 in Oxfordshire and Willelmus de Blythe was listed in the Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379. 2 "Blight is the name of an old Bodmin [Cornwall, England] family that resided there as far back as the beginning of the 16th century; Bligh or Blighe was the early form of the name. There were Bodmin mayors of the name during the 16th, 17th, and 18th centuries." 9 Early History of the Blorthay familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Blorthay research. Another 98 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1485, 1493, 1499, 1503, 1530, 1542, 1563, 1567, 1603, 1605, 1646, 1654, 1691 and 1883 are included under the topic Early Blorthay History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Blorthay Spelling VariationsSpelling and translation were hardly exact sciences in Medieval Scotland. Sound, rather than any set of rules, was the basis for spellings, so one name was often spelled different ways even within a single document. Spelling variations are thus an extremely common occurrence in Medieval Scottish names. Blorthay has been spelled Blythe, Bllyt, Blytht, Blyithe, Blith, Blyth, Blitht and many more. Early Notables of the Blorthay familyNotable amongst the family at this time was Richard Blyth, who represented Dundee in Parliament in 1567; Cuthbert Blyth, who was burgess of Edinburgh in 1563; Robert Blyth, who was retoured heir in land of Brounslope, Berwickshire, in 1646; Archibald Blyth, who appears as a baxter in Dysart in 1691; John Blyth (or John Blythe), Archdeacon of Richmond... Migration of the Blorthay family to IrelandSome of the Blorthay family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt. Migration of the Blorthay familySuch hard times forced many to leave their homeland in search of opportunity across the Atlantic. Many of these families settled along the east coast of North America in communities that would become the backbones of the young nations of the United States and Canada. The ancestors of many of these families have rediscovered their roots in the 20th century through the establishment of Clan societies and other patriotic Scottish organizations. Among them: John Blyth who settled in Virginia in 1652 with his wife Mary; Sarah Blyth arrived in Jamaica in 1774 with her husband John; Anne, George, John, Margaret, Samuel Blythe all settled in Charleston Massachusetts in 1820..
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