Connigton History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Scotland

Connigton is a name that first reached England following the Norman Conquest of 1066. The Connigton family lived in Cambridgeshire, in the parish of Connington.

Early Origins of the Connigton family

The surname Connigton was first found in Cambridgeshire, at Conington, a parish, in the union of St. Ives, hundred of Papworth. "The lordship, together with the ancient castle, of which there are some vestiges in the village, was given by Canute to Turkill, a Danish lord, who, taking advantage of his residence among the East Angles, invited over Sueno to plunder the country.

After Turkill's departure it fell to Waldeof, Earl of Huntingdon, who married Judith, niece to the Conqueror, from whom it descended to the royal line of Scotland. " 1

Accordingly, the place name literally means "The king's manor, the royal estate," from the Old Scandinavian word "konunger" + the Old English word "tun." 2 It was listed twice in the Domesday Book of 1086, once as Coninctune and secondly as Cunitone. 3

One of the first on records was Richard Conyngton (d. 1330), Franciscan, who "studied at the university of Oxford, where he proceeded to the degree of doctor in theology. He must also have lived for some time on the continent, since a younger contemporary, the famous John Baconthorpe, says he was a pupil of Henry of Ghent. Conyngton was held in high repute as a schoolman." 4

Early History of the Connigton family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Connigton research. Another 98 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1086, 1273 and 1340 are included under the topic Early Connigton History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Connigton Spelling Variations

It is only in the last few hundred years that the English language has been standardized. For that reason, Anglo-Norman surnames like Connigton 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 Connigton include Connington, Connigton, Conitone, Conyton, Coniton, Conintone and many more.

Early Notables of the Connigton family

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

Migration of the Connigton family

Faced 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 Connigton, or a variant listed above: Wm. Connington, who arrived in Baltimore in 1676; William Connington, who arrived in Maryland in 1676; Naomi Connis, who arrived in Boston in 1702; Lewis Connington, who settled in America in 1757.

Citations +

Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print