Show ContentsCharpless History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The history of the Charpless family goes back to the ancient Anglo-Saxon culture of Britain. It is derived from the family living in Sharples Hall near Bolton in the county of Lancashire. This habitation surname was originally derived from the Old English word scearp meaning sharp and laes meaning pasture. Therefore the original bearers of the surname lived in an area that was defined by it's steep pasture.

Early Origins of the Charpless family

The surname Charpless was first found in Lancashire at Sharples or Sharples Hall, now a suburb of Bolton, a township of the civil and ecclesiastical parish of Bolton le Moors in the Salford hundred. 1 The first record of the placename was in 1212 when it was listed as Charples. A few years later, it was listed as Sharples and Scharples in 1292.

Early History of the Charpless family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Charpless research. Another 103 words (7 lines of text) covering the year 1699 is included under the topic Early Charpless History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Charpless 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 Charpless include Sharples, Sharpless and others.

Early Notables of the Charpless family

More information is included under the topic Early Charpless Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Charpless family

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 Charpless or a variant listed above: Edward Sharples arrived in Virginia in 1623; John Sharples and his wife Jane and seven children arrived in Delaware in 1682; M. and T. Sharpless arrived in Baltimore in 1820..



  1. Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.


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