From the ancient Celtic culture that existed in Wales came the surname Charleton. The first bearers of this name adopted it when they lived in any of such places as Carlton in Bedfordshire, Cambridge, Durham, Lincolnshire, Leicestershire, Nottinghamshire, Northumberland, Suffolk, or the East Riding of Yorkshire, or in one of the places called Carleton in Cumberland Lancashire, Norfolk, or the West Riding of Yorkshire. One of the reasons for the numerous entries of the place name is that the name literally means "farmstead or estate of the freemen" [1]
The surname Charleton was first found in Herefordshire, but one family was found at Whitton in Shropshire in early times. "Here is a farmhouse formerly a seat of the Charltons, where James II. visited: a chamber in it contains some superior tapestry of that period." [2]
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Charleton research. Another 124 words (9 lines of text) covering the years 1100, 1268, 1353, 1300, 1360, 1336, 1374, 1362, 1401, 1369, 1361, 1369, 1560, 1638, 1573, 1632, 1599, 1654, 1559, 1628, 1618, 1619, 1605, 1685, 1660, 1661, 1672, 1679, 1678, 1685, 1642, 1673, 1673, 1601, 1562 and are included under the topic Early Charleton History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Welsh surnames are relatively few in number, but they have an inordinately large number of spelling variations. There are many factors that explain the preponderance of Welsh variants, but the earliest is found during the Middle Ages when Welsh surnames came into use. Therefore, scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded, which often resulted in a single person's name being inconsistently recorded over his lifetime. The transliteration of Welsh names into English also accounts for many of the spelling variations: the unique Brythonic Celtic language of the Welsh had many sounds the English language was incapable of accurately reproducing. It was also common for members of a same surname to change their names slightly, in order to signify a branch loyalty within the family, a religious adherence, or even patriotic affiliations. For all of these reasons, the many spelling variations of particular Welsh names are very important. The surname Charleton has occasionally been spelled Carleton, Carlton, Charleton, Charlton and others.
Prominent amongst the family during the late Middle Ages was John Charleton, (1268-1353), 1st Baron Cherleton, 1st Lord Charlton of Powys, British baron; John Charleton, (c. 1300-1360), 2nd Baron Cherleton, 2nd Lord Charlton of Powys, British baron; John Charleton, (c. 1336-1374), 3rd Baron Cherleton, 3rd Lord Charlton of Powys, British baron; John Charleton (Cherleton or Charlton), (1362-1401), 4th Baron Cherleton, 4th Lord Charlton of Powys; Lewis de Charleton (or Lewis Charlton, Lewes de Cherlton) (died 1369), Bishop of Hereford (1361-1369); Sir John Carleton 'of the Bower', notorious Border fighter; Richard Carleton (1560-1638), English composer; Dudley Carleton, Viscount Dorchester...
Another 97 words (7 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Charleton Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Some of the Charleton family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 141 words (10 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
In the 1800s and 1900s, many Welsh families left for North America, in search of land, work, and freedom. Those who made the trip successfully helped contribute to the growth of industry, commerce, and the cultural heritage of both Canada and the United States. In the immigration and passenger lists were a number of people bearing the name Charleton