Courtman History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

The ancient roots of the Courtman family name are in the Anglo-Saxon culture. The name Courtman comes from when the family lived at the court, a phrase which may have indicated either a large mansion or a tribunal. The prefix A was often dropped by the 13th century, when many branches of the family became known as Court. Some historians have suggested that certain variations of the name may be nicknames derived from the Old French and Old English word curt, meaning short or truncated. However, time has confused the different derivations, and it is now extremely difficult to tell which is appropriate to a given family or situation.

Early Origins of the Courtman family

The surname Courtman was first found in "Covert or Couert, Normandy, [who] held by the service of 1 fee of the barony or Braiose [Briouze]." [1] William de Braose (Briouze), First Lord of Bramber (died c. 1096) was granted extensive lands in Sussex by William the Conqueror. Accordingly, the Courtman family held lands from him in Sussex. In 1107, William de Cuvert witnessed the foundation charter of Barnstaple and years later William Guvert (Cuvert) held a fee of ancient enfeoffment from William de Courcy in Somerset. [1]

Early History of the Courtman family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Courtman research. Another 114 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1532, 1582, 1550, 1552, 1553 and 1556 are included under the topic Early Courtman History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Courtman Spelling Variations

One relatively recent invention that did much to standardize English spelling was the printing press. However, before its invention even the most literate people recorded their names according to sound rather than spelling. The spelling variations under which the name Courtman has appeared include A'Court, Court, Courte, Couert, Covert, Courtie, Courts and many more.

Early Notables of the Courtman family (pre 1700)

Distinguished members of the family include Richard Curteys (1532?-1582), Bishop of Chichester, a native of Lincolnshire. "He received his academical education at St. John's College, Cambridge, where he was elected to a scholarship on the...
Another 34 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Courtman Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Courtman family to Ireland

Some of the Courtman family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt. More information about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Courtman migration to the United States +

At this time, the shores of the New World beckoned many English families that felt that the social climate in England was oppressive and lacked opportunity for change. Thousands left England at great expense in ships that were overcrowded and full of disease. A great portion of these settlers never survived the journey and even a greater number arrived sick, starving, and without a penny. The survivors, however, were often greeted with greater opportunity than they could have experienced back home. These English settlers made significant contributions to those colonies that would eventually become the United States and Canada. An examination of early immigration records and passenger ship lists revealed that people bearing the name Courtman arrived in North America very early:

Courtman Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Thomas Courtman, who arrived in Virginia in 1655 [2]
Tho Courtman, who landed in Virginia in 1662 [2]
Francis Courtman, who arrived in Virginia in 1664 [2]

Courtman migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Courtman Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Mr. Robert Courtman, (b. 1800), aged 44, English farm labourer who was convicted in Ely (Isle of Ely), Cambrdigeshire, England for 10 years for stealing, transported aboard the "Equestrian" on 25th January 1844, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Island), he died in 1846 [3]

Contemporary Notables of the name Courtman (post 1700) +

Percy Courtman (1888-1917), English breaststroke swimmer at the 1908 and 1912 Summer Olympics; he was killed in Word War I
Ray Courtman, Canadian politician, Mayor of Beiseker, Alberta

The Courtman Motto +

The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.

Motto: Grandescunt aucta labore
Motto Translation: What is increased by Labour grows greater.

Citations +

The Norman People and Their Existing Descendants in the British Dominions and the United States Of America. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing, 1975. Print. (ISBN 0-8063-0636-X)
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)
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 4th May 2022). https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/equestrian