Edmeston History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Scotland

Early Origins of the Edmeston family

The surname Edmeston was first found in Cornwall where they held a family seat as Lords of the Manor of Emerston. Cornwall was a land set apart, a land of mystique and quaint customs, more strongly related to Brittany and Wales than to England. It was not until the 10th century that they submitted to the Saxon rule of England. Since then, their influence has moved east into Devon, Somerset and Dorset.

Early History of the Edmeston family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Edmeston research. Another 143 words (10 lines of text) covering the years 1164, 1510 and 1600 are included under the topic Early Edmeston History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Edmeston Spelling Variations

Cornish surnames are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. The frequent changes in surnames are due to the fact that the Old and Middle English languages lacked definite spelling rules. The official court languages, which were Latin and French, were also influential on the spelling of a surname. Since the spelling of surnames was rarely consistent in medieval times, and scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded rather than adhering to any specific spelling rules, it was common to find the same individual referred to with different spellings of their surname in the ancient chronicles. Moreover, a large number of foreign names were brought into England, which accelerated and accentuated the alterations to the spelling of various surnames. Lastly, spelling variations often resulted from the linguistic differences between the people of Cornwall and the rest of England. The Cornish spoke a unique Brythonic Celtic language which was first recorded in written documents during the 10th century. However, they became increasingly Anglicized, and Cornish became extinct as a spoken language in 1777, although it has been revived by Cornish patriots in the modern era. The name has been spelled Emerston, Edmerston, Edmeston, Edmerson and others.

Early Notables of the Edmeston family

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

Edmeston migration to the United States +

A search of the immigration and passenger lists has shown a number of people bearing the name Edmeston:

Edmeston Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Andrew Edmeston, who was listed as a British alien in the United States during the War of 1812
Andrew Edmeston, aged 29, who arrived in New York in 1812 1
Robert Edmeston, who arrived in New York in 1827 1
Elizabeth A Edmeston, who landed in New York in 1850 1

Citations +

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)