De la port History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

The De la port surname comes from the Middle/Old English word "port," meaning "a harbor," or "market town" As such, the surname is thought to have been a topographic name for someone who lived near a port, or a market town.

Early Origins of the De la port family

The surname De la port was first found in Hampshire and Dorset. The family claim descent from Hugo de Port who came to England at the Norman Conquest and held fifty-five lordships in those counties. [1]

A Hubert de Port was also a tenant in capite in Hampshire as listed in the Domesday Book of 1086. [2]

Adam de Port or Porz (died 1213) was an English Baron, eldest son of John de Port and Maud, his wife, grandson of Henry de Port, lord of Basing in Hampshire. Adam reported to the exchequer in 1164, his father John being then alive, for about twenty-four knights' fees in Herefordshire. In 1172 accused of treason and of plotting the death of the king; he was summoned to appear before the king's court, disobeyed the summons, fled from England, and was outlawed. He seems to have returned to England at some point as he was fined three hundred marks for trespassing in the royal forests in 1176. He is said to have served the king in Normandy in 1194. [3]

From these early records, the family quickly scattered. "The church [of Upper Areley, Staffordshire], which is situated on an eminence commanding a fine prospect, was first built by Henry de Port, in the reign of Henry I., and was rebuilt in the time of Edward I." [4]

Another branch of the family was found at early times in Derbyshire. "The manor belonged to Welbeck Abbey, Nottinghamshire, in the reign of Stephen. It was given by Henry VIII., in 1540, to Sir John Port, Knt., one of the justices of the king's bench." [4]

In Devon, "Old Port, a very remarkable fortification of unknown antiquity, on the Erme, gave name to the De la Ports, and is suggested by Mr. R. J. King as of older date than Saxon times. ' It may have been the work of the Romans before their withdrawal ... or it may have been raised by some British King of Damnonia, working and building under Roman traditions, for defence against the Saxon host.' " [5]

Early History of the De la port family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our De la port research. Another 146 words (10 lines of text) covering the years 1527, 1480, 1541, 1486, 1517, 1522, 1557, 1617, 1606 and 1679 are included under the topic Early De la port History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

De la port Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Port, Le Port, De la Port, Delaport, Porte, De Porte, Deport, Deporte and many more.

Early Notables of the De la port family (pre 1700)

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was Sir John Port (c. 1480-1541), English jurist, born at Chester, where his ancestors had been merchants for some generations; his father, Henry, was mayor of Chester in 1486. In 1517 he was 'clerk of exchange in the Tower,' and in 1522 was made serjeant-at-law. His son Sir John Port (died 1557) was the first lecturer or scholar on his father's foundation of...
Another 70 words (5 lines of text) are included under the topic Early De la port Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

De la port migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

De la port Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

C Delaport, who arrived in San Francisco, California in 1850 [6]

Citations +

Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
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
Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
Worth, R.N., A History of Devonshire London: Elliot Stock, 62, Paternoster Row, E.G., 1895. Digital
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)