Elstob History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Scotland

The ancient history of the Elstob name begins with the ancient Anglo-Saxon tribes of Britain. The name is derived from when the family resided in Nottinghamshire or Wiltshire. The name could also be classified as a baptismal name as in the son of Elstan and an earlier personal name Dunstan.

Early Origins of the Elstob family

The surname Elstob was first found in Nottinghamshire at Elston, a small village that lies between the rivers Trent and Devon and dates back to at least the Domesday Book where it was listed as Elvestune, Eluestune and Eluestune [1] and probably meant "farmstead of a man called Eilafr" from an Old Scandinavian personal name + tun. [2]

The less likely local that the name could have been derived from is Elston in Wiltshire, a hamlet in the parish of St. George which was also listed in the Domesday Book, but as Wintreburne. [1]

The variant Elstob is most interesting. This family hails from Elstob, a township in the parish of Stainton, County Durham. [3] [4] This very small township (only 27 inhabitants in the late 1800's) [5] was the homestead of some remarkable people who we will soon discover. Early Assize Rolls listed Philip de Ellestob and William de Ellestobe 1235-1236 and Philip de Ellestob in 1269. [6]

Further to the north in Scotland, the name hails from "the lands of Elliston near Bowden, Roxburghshire where John, son of Iliue de Iliuestun or Ylif de Ylifstun, held these lands in the reign of Alexander II, and Laurence Ylifstun is mentioned in 1249. " [7]

Early History of the Elstob family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Elstob research. Another 130 words (9 lines of text) covering the years 1718, 1587, 1673, 1662, 1637, 1683, 1758, 1683, 1673, 1715, 1673, 1673, 1715, 1673, 1685 and 1721 are included under the topic Early Elstob History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Elstob 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 Elstob include Elston, Elstone, Elliston, Elsden, Elsdon, Elson and others.

Early Notables of the Elstob family (pre 1700)

Distinguished members of the family include Elizabeth Elstob (1683-1758), Anglo-Saxon scholar, born on 29 Sept. 1683 in St. Nicholas parish, Newcastle-on-Tyne. She was the sister of William Elstob (1673-1715.) He was an English divine, son of Ralph Elstob, merchant of Newcastle-upon-Tyne, was baptised at All Saints' Church, Newcastle, on 1 Jan. 1673. [8] William Elstob (1673-1715), was an English divine, son of Ralph Elstob, merchant of Newcastle-upon-Tyne, was baptised...
Another 68 words (5 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Elstob Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Elstob 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 Elstob or a variant listed above: John Elston who settled in Salem Massachusetts in 1630; John and Sarah Elston settled in Belfast, Maine in 1820.

Contemporary Notables of the name Elstob (post 1700) +

Lieutenant Colonel Wilfrith Elstob VC, DSO, MC (1888-1918), English recipient of the Victoria Cross who was killed in action, awarded for his actions on 21 March 1918 at the Manchester Redoubt, near Saint-Quentin, France

Citations +

Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
Black, George F., The Surnames of Scotland Their Origin, Meaning and History. New York: New York Public Library, 1946. Print. (ISBN 0-87104-172-3)
Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print