Following the Norman Conquest of England in 1066, the name Blounts was first found in Britina. It was a name for a person with blond hair having derived from the Anglo-Norman French word blunt, which means blond. [1]
The surname Blounts was first found in Suffolk where the Blounts or Blunts, as they are more modernly called, trace their heritage to the Normans, specifically to Rudolph, Count of Guisnes, who nobly assisted Duke William of Normandy to conquer the Saxons at Hastings, in 1066. Sir Robert de Blount (c.1029-1066) had command of the Conqueror's ships during the invasion and was amply rewarded. Sir William, his brother, commanded his foot soldiers at Hastings. [2]
These two great nobles received lands in Suffolk, Sir Robert became Baron of Ixworth, Lord of Orford Castle, and Sir William got seven lordships at Saxlingham in the county of Sussex. Each of these branches flourished and there is a record of each succeeding Baron in each estate. Both are recorded in the Domesday Book with their various properties. [3]
John de Blund or Blunt (c. 1175-1248), Chancellor of York, was one of the leaders of the movement for the restoration of the university of Oxford to its ancient position as a seat of learning. He was Archbishop of Canterbury-elect in 1232. [4]
In Scotland, the name is more often than not a variant of Blund. John le Blunt of Eskeby from Dumfriesshire, rendered homage to King Edward I of England in 1296. Interestingly, Hugh de Abirbuthenoth, who gifted the church of Garuoch to the monastery of Arnbroath in 1292, was commonly designated Hugo Blundus or Le Blond, from the flaxen color of his hair. However, the first record in Scotland was sometime before 1200 when Rodbert Blundus witnessed a charier by Roger de Quenci. Later Adam Blundus witnessed a confirmation charter by the Chapter of Brechin c. 1212-1218. John Blund who witnessed a charter by Matilda, countess of Angus, c. 1242-1248 is probably the John Blundus who appears as a charter witness in Brechin in 1267. [5]
Back in England, the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 included listings of: Melodia le Blount, Huntingdonshire; Margareta le Blound, Cambridgeshire; Richard le Blont, Wiltshire; Alan le Blund, Oxfordshire; and Richard le Blunt, Wiltshire. [6]
Ascelina le Blund, or Blunt was listed in Norfolk in 1272 [7] and John le Blont, was listed in Somerset, 1 Edward III (during the first year of Edward III's reign.) [8] The Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379 included: Johannes Blont; and Ricardus Blont. [6]
Later, Robert de Houton was rector of the church of St. Elphin, Warrington, Lancashire and was confirmed the 3rd of April 1330. [9]
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Blounts research. Another 197 words (14 lines of text) covering the years 1600, 1640, 1400, 1403, 1493, 1502, 1540, 1597, 1666, 1617, 1563, 1606, 1654, 1693, 1618, 1679, 1565, 1632, 1529, 1597, 1594, 1654, 1624, 1654, 1693, 1601, 1604, 1618, 1679, 1649, 1697, 1670, 1731, 1580 and 1563 are included under the topic Early Blounts History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
It is only in the last few hundred years that the English language has been standardized. For that reason, Anglo-Norman surnames like Blounts are characterized by many spelling variations. Scribes and monks in the Middle Ages spelled names they sounded, so it is common to find several variations that refer to a single person. As the English language changed and incorporated elements of other European languages such as Norman French and Latin, even literate people regularly changed the spelling of their names. The variations of the name Blounts include Blount, Blunt, Blond, Blonde, Blund and others.
Outstanding amongst the family at this time was Sir Thomas Blount (d. 1400), supporter of Richard II; Sir Walter Blount (died 1403), soldier and supporter of John of Gaunt (Duke of Lancaster), served as the royal standard bearer, mistaken for the king and killed in combat, appears as a character in Shakespeare's play Henry IV, part 1; Sir James Blount (d. 1493), English commander of the fortress of Hammes; Elizabeth Blount (1502-1540), mistress of Henry VIII; Mountjoy Blount, 1st Earl of Newport (c. 1597-1666), created Baron Mountjoy in the Irish peerage (1617); Charles Blount (1563-1606), English Earl of Devonshire; Charles Blount...
Another 162 words (12 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Blounts Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Migration of the Blounts family to IrelandSome of the Blounts family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 45 words (3 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Faced with the chaos present in England at that time, many English families looked towards the open frontiers of the New World with its opportunities to escape oppression and starvation. People migrated to North America, as well as Australia and Ireland in droves, paying exorbitant rates for passages in cramped, unsafe ships. Many of the settlers did not make the long passage alive, but those who did see the shores of North America were welcomed with great opportunity. Many of the families that came from England went on to make essential contributions to the emerging nations of Canada and the United States. Some of the first immigrants to cross the Atlantic and come to North America carried the name Blounts, or a variant listed above: John Blunt, who came to Virginia in 1652; Charles, Christopher, and Joanne Blunt, who came to Jamaica in 1663; John Blount who settled in North Carolina in 1675.
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