Caus History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

The ancestors of the bearers of the Caus family name are thought have lived in ancient Anglo-Saxon England. They were first found in the hamlet of Causton in Norfolk. The place-name appears in the Domesday Book as Caustuna. 1 "The manor of Causton in South Erpingham, Norfolk, is mentioned in the Hundred Rolls of 1373." 2

Early Origins of the Caus family

The surname Caus was first found in Norfolk where the History of Norfolk notes: "Beatrix, relict of Stephen de Causton, Edgefield, Norfolk and Richer de Causton, Norfolk, 1265. " 2

A few years later, the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 noted Godfrey de Causton, Norfolk; and William de Causton, Norfolk. 2

Of note in the ancient times was Michael de Cawston or Causton (d. 1395), Master of Michaelhouse, Cambridge, a Norfolk man, presumably a native of the village of Cawston, about twelve miles north-west of Norwich. "He became fellow of Pembroke College, Cambridge, doctor of divinity, and master of Michaelhouse. His appointment as master was apparently made subsequently to 1359, when William of Gotham is mentioned as holding that office. In 1361 or 1362, Cawston was chancellor of his university." 3

Early History of the Caus family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Caus research. Another 120 words (9 lines of text) covering the years 1335, 1569, 1631, 1638, 1673 and 1711 are included under the topic Early Caus History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Caus Spelling Variations

Until quite recently, the English language has lacked a definite system of spelling rules. Consequently, Anglo-Saxon surnames are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. Changes in Anglo-Saxon names were influenced by the evolution of the English language, as it incorporated elements of French, Latin, and other languages. Although Medieval scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded, so it is common to find one person referred to by several different spellings of his surname, even the most literate people varied the spelling of their own names. Variations of the name Caus include Causton, Caustin, Cawston, Kawston and others.

Early Notables of the Caus family

Notables of the family at this time include

Thomas Causton (d. 1569), English musical composer, "a gentleman of the chapel royal under Edward VI, Mary, and Elizabeth...
Nothing is known of his parentage, but it is possible that he is identical with a Thomas Causton who was living about the same date at Oxted in Surrey...
This individual was the son of William Causton of Orpington, by Katherine Banister, and was married to Agnes Polley of Shoreham...

Caus migration to the United States +

Searching for a better life, many English families migrated to British colonies. Unfortunately, the majority of them traveled under extremely harsh conditions: overcrowding on the ships caused the majority of the immigrants to arrive diseased, famished, and destitute from the long journey across the ocean. For those families that arrived safely, modest prosperity was attainable, and many went on to make invaluable contributions to the development of the cultures of the new colonies. Research into the origins of individual families in North America revealed records of the immigration of a number of people bearing the name Caus or a variant listed above:

Caus Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Thomas Caus, who landed in Virginia in 1650 4

Citations +

Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
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
Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)