Eshelman is a name that first reached
England following the
Norman Conquest of 1066. The Eshelman family lived in close proximity to an
ash tree. As such, the name has
local references to towns called
Ash in
Derbyshire,
Surrey,
Hampshire, and many other places.
Early Origins of the Eshelman family
The surname Eshelman was first found in the county of
Devon in southern
England. The first person to settle in the locality was D'Esse Court, a companion of King William, Duke of
Normandy who landed in
England in 1066 A.D. and was granted lands by his liege lord in the vicinity of
Exeter,
Devon. Alternatively the family could have originated in Esh or Ash, a chapelry, in the parish and union of Lanchester in
Durham. "The manor gave name, at a very early period, to a family of considerable
local consequence, who held the estate, with little interruption, from the middle of the 13th century till the time of Henry VIII."
[1]CITATION[CLOSE]
Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print. The
Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 list the following: John de le Es, in Norfolk; Roger de le Es, also in Norfolk; Agnes Ate Nasse in Oxfordshire; and Henry de Asse in
Warwickshire.
[2]CITATION[CLOSE]
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6) The reference "History of Norfolk" list Joan atte-Eshe in 1345, Roger atte-Ashe,
temp. Edward II and John at-Ash, of Bintre,
Norfolk in 1349. The
Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379 had only one listing of the family, Robertus del Asch. Another source notes: "We find the Atten-Ashe of the XIV. cent. contracted into Nashe soon after."
[3]CITATION[CLOSE]
Lowe, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
Early History of the Eshelman family
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Eshelman research.
Another 215 words (15 lines of text) covering the years 1326, 1597, 1658, 1640, 1656, 1609, 1656, 1640, 1652, 1618, 1686, 1670, 1681, 1671, 1735, 1636, 1658, 1718, 1695, 1697, 1717 and are included under the topic Early Eshelman History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Eshelman 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 Eshelman 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 Eshelman include Esse, Ash, Ashe, Aschey and others.
Early Notables of the Eshelman family (pre 1700)
Outstanding amongst the family at this time was John Ashe (1597-1658), an English clothier and politician for Westbury and later for
Somerset at various times between 1640 and 1656, upon his death he left a landed estate valued at £6000 a year; Edward Ashe (ca.1609-1656), brother of...
Another 47 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Eshelman Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Migration of the Eshelman family to Ireland
Some of the Eshelman family moved to
Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 251 words (18 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Migration of the Eshelman family to the New World and Oceana
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 Eshelman, or a variant listed above:
Eshelman Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
- Jacob Eshelman, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1729 [4]CITATION[CLOSE]
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) - Johan Eshelman, aged 19, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1731 [4]CITATION[CLOSE]
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) - Johan Albrecht Eshelman, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1749 [4]CITATION[CLOSE]
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)
Eshelman Settlers in United States in the 20th Century
- Frances M. Eshelman, aged 28, who arrived in America, in 1910
- Martin Eshelman, aged 22, who arrived in America, in 1913
- William Eshelman, aged 58, who arrived in America, in 1916
Contemporary Notables of the name Eshelman (post 1700)
- Kathy Eshelman, American Republican politician, Alternate Delegate to Republican National Convention from Ohio, 2008 [5]CITATION[CLOSE]
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, October 30) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html - E. B. Eshelman, American Democrat politician, Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Ohio, 1864, 1888 [5]CITATION[CLOSE]
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, October 30) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html - William Robert Eshelman (1921-2004), American pacifist, editor, and librarian
- Dave Eshelman (b. 1948), American jazz trombonist, composer, arranger, band-leader and music-educator
- Vaughn Eshelman (b. 1969), American Major League Baseball pitcher who played from 1995 to 1997 for the Boston Red Sox
- Cheston Lee Eshelman (1917-2004), American inventor, aviator, and manufacturer, founder of Cheston L. Eshelman Company and Eshelman Motors Corporation
- Virginia Eshelman Johnson (1925-2013), American sexologist and psychologist, best known for her work on the Masters and Johnson sexuality research team
The Eshelman 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: Non nobis sed omnibus
Motto Translation: Not for us but for all.