Chorltun History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

The ancestors of the bearers of the Chorltun family name are thought have lived in ancient Anglo-Saxon England. They were first found at Chorlton, in the county of Lancashire. "The township was then chiefly occupied as an agricultural estate connected with the ancient Chorlton Hall, which is still standing near St. Luke's chapel." [1] The name was originally derived from the elements churl, meaning peasant and tun, meaning enclosure or settlement. [2] [3]

Chorlton is also a township in Chester and a chapelry in Staffordshire. [1]

Early Origins of the Chorltun family

The surname Chorltun was first found in Somerset where Alan de Cherleton, was listed 1 Edward III (during the first year's reign of King Edward III.) [4]

The Subsidy Rolls for Worcestershire included an entry for Muriel Chorlton in 1327 and later in Gloucestershire, William de Chorleton was listed in 1380. Thomas Chorleton was found in Nottinghamshire in 1419. [5]

Early History of the Chorltun family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Chorltun research. Another 81 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1327, 1327, 1377, 1380, 1419, 1603, 1666, 1705, 1682, 1687 and 1695 are included under the topic Early Chorltun History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Chorltun 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 Chorltun include Chorlton, Chorleton, Cherleton and others.

Early Notables of the Chorltun family (pre 1700)

Distinguished members of the family include John Chorlton (1666-1705), an English Presbyterian minister and tutor from Salford, Greater Manchester. "He was educated for the ministry in the northern academy under Richard Frankland, M.A., the date of his admission...
Another 38 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Chorltun Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Chorltun 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 Chorltun or a variant listed above: John Chorlton who arrived in Philadelphia in 1832; and Isaac Chorlton, who came to Philadelphia in 1860.

Citations +

Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
Harrison, Henry, Surnames of the United Kingdom: A Concise Etymological Dictionary Baltimore: Geneological Publishing Company, 2013. Print
Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
Dickinson, F.H., Kirby's Quest for Somerset of 16th of Edward the 3rd London: Harrison and Sons, Printers in Ordinary to Her Majesty, St, Martin's Lane, 1889. Print.
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)