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![Show Contents]() Cackstone History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
- Origins Available:
 England
Cackstone is a name that first reached England following the Norman Conquest of 1066. The Cackstone family lived in Cambridgeshire, at Caxton, a market-town and parish, in the union of Caxton and Arrington, hundred of Longstow. "This place, which is one of the oldest post-towns in the county, is situated on the Roman Ermin-street: the buildings are in general irregular and of mean appearance, consisting principally of poor cottages and decayed inns, though there are a few good houses. It has been stated, also, that Caxton, who introduced the art of printing into England, was born in the parish; but his own memoirs refer his birth and education to the county of Kent." 1 Interestingly, the parish dates back to the Domesday Book of 1086, when it was first listed as Causton(e.) 2 And in more recent times, Causton is the fictional site for much of the crime-novel series by author Caroline Graham entitled 'Midsomer Murders.' Early Origins of the Cackstone familyThe surname Cackstone was first found in Cambridgeshire at Caxton, a market-town and parish, in the union of Caxton and Arrington, hundred of Longstow. "This place, which is one of the oldest post-towns in the county, is situated on the Roman Ermin-street: the buildings are in general irregular and of mean appearance, consisting principally of poor cottages and decayed inns, though there are a few good houses. It has been stated, also, that Caxton, who introduced the art of printing into England, was born in the parish; but his own memoirs refer his birth and education to the county of Kent." 1 The Manor of Caustone was held by Hardwin of Scales in 1086, from whom the Caxtons are conjecturally descended. 2 The village of Causton, or Caxton, is on Roman Ermine Street and was once a coaching village. Early History of the Cackstone familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Cackstone research. Another 232 words (17 lines of text) covering the years 1086, 1273, 1335, 1354, 1400, 1422, 1474, 1478, 1491, 1500 and 1880 are included under the topic Early Cackstone History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Cackstone Spelling VariationsIt is only in the last few hundred years that the English language has been standardized. For that reason, Anglo-Norman surnames like Cackstone 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 Cackstone include Caxton, Caxtone, Cackston, Cackstone, Cacstone, Caxten, Caxtan and many more. Early Notables of the Cackstone familyOutstanding amongst the family at this time was William Caxton (1422-1491), the first English printer and first to introduce a printing press into England. Copies of his Canterbury Tales by Chaucer is kept in the British Library and the text is viewable online. He "was born, he himself states, ‘in Kent in the Weeld’. The name was usually pronounced Cauxton, and often written Causton, and Kentish antiquaries connect Caxton's family with the Caustons or Caxtons who held a manor of the same name near Hadlow in the Weald of Kent in the thirteenth century. Before the fifteenth century the manor had...
Another 150 words (11 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Cackstone Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Migration of the Cackstone familyFaced 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 Cackstone, or a variant listed above: Bryan Caxton, who settled in Maryland in 1678.
- Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
- Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
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