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St-Aubyn History Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables

Contemporary Notables Related Stories Motto Citations

St-Aubyn History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
France
Ireland

St-Aubyn is a name of ancient Norman origin. It arrived in England with the Norman Conquest of 1066. The St-Aubyn family lived in Devon. Their name, however, is a reference to St. Albine de Terregatt, Normandy.

"Mauger de St. Albyn witnessed the foundation charter of Barnstaple Abbey in the time of the Conqueror, and his posterity remained for many generations in Devonshire. Their earliest recorded residence was Pickwell, in the parish of George Ham, where Sir Mauger de St. Albino was seated in the latter days of Henry III." 1

"This knight and his lady are interred in the church, under a fair monument of free stone, with their representations neatly cut ; and he lying in his armour makes show of large stature, something more than ordinary. The inhabitants report from their ancestors that he was of giant-like stature, and therefore named Major St. Aubyn, mistaking Major for Mauger or Maugis, a common name in those days. He was of so great and extraordinary strength that he was able to cast a huge main stone a very large length. The stone is yet there to be seen, and the throw marked out by two erected monuments yet extant, and the stone is so weighty that two strong men of this age are but able to lift it." 1

Early Origins of the St-Aubyn family

The surname St-Aubyn was first found in Devon and neighbouring Cornwall. "The manors of Berripper and Penpons, [in Camborne] which are now the property of Sir John St. Aubyn, have long been in the possession of his family. His grandfather, who was born in this parish, and who represented this county in parliament, has rendered his name memorable by his eloquence and independence." 2

"The manor of Trelowith, together with that of Trenhale, [in the parish of St. Erth, Cornwall] has long been in the St. Aubyn family, where it still remains. Hals says, that from Trenhayle was denominated an old family of gentlemen that became extinct so early as the reign of Edward III. when the heiress of this family married Tencreek, whose heiress married Budeoxhed, which family also became extinct in the reign of Elizabeth. It appears however, from the parish register, that some of the Trenhayle family remained so late as the seventeenth century." 2

Early History of the St-Aubyn family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our St-Aubyn research. Another 121 words (9 lines of text) covering the years 1613, 1640, 1641, 1645, 1670, 1684, 1687, 1702, 1714, 1726, 1744, 1772 and 1819 are included under the topic Early St-Aubyn History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

St-Aubyn 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 St-Aubyn 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 St-Aubyn include St. Albyn, St. Awbyne, St. Aubyn, St. Alban and many more.

Early Notables of the St-Aubyn family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was Sir John St. Albyn; John St Aubyn (1613-1684), English politician in the House of Commons (1640), Colonel in the Parliamentary Army in the English Civil War...
Another 33 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early St-Aubyn Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the St-Aubyn family to Ireland

Some of the St-Aubyn family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 48 words (3 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

St-Aubyn migration to the United States +

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 St-Aubyn, or a variant listed above:

St-Aubyn Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

J St Aubyn, aged 34, who immigrated to America from Liverpool, England in 1892

St-Aubyn Settlers in United States in the 20th Century

Guy St Aubyn, aged 46, who landed in America, in 1908
Edith St Aubyn, aged 23, who settled in America from Hastings, Barbados, in 1917
Geoffrey G St Aubyn, aged 38, who immigrated to the United States from Raneaqua, Chile, in 1919

St-Aubyn migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

St-Aubyn Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Robert St Aubyn, who arrived in Port Nicholson aboard the ship "Jane" in 1841 3
Levinia St Aubyn, who arrived in Port Nicholson aboard the ship "Jane" in 1841 3
Mr. St. Aubyn, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Jane" arriving in Wellington, New Zealand on 24th May 1841 4
Mrs. St. Aubyn, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Jane" arriving in Wellington, New Zealand on 24th May 1841 4
Mr. James St Aubyn, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Spray of the Ocean" arriving in Auckland, New Zealand on 1st September 1859 5
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name St-Aubyn (post 1700) +

Catherine St. Aubyn (d. 1836), English amateur artist, second daughter of Sir John St. Aubyn, 4th Baronet, of Clowance in Cornwall, and sister of Sir John St. Aubyn (1758–1839)
Sir John St Aubyn (1645-1687), 1st Baronet, of Clowance in Cornwall, English peer
Sir John St Aubyn (1726-1772), 4th Baronet, English peer
Sir John St Aubyn (1702-1744), 3rd Baronet, English peer
Sir John St Aubyn (1670-1714), 2nd Baronet, English peer
John St Aubyn (1829-1908), 1st Baron St Levan, English peer
Sir John St Aubyn (1758-1839), 5th Baronet, British Member of Parliament, High Sheriff of Cornwall and Grand Master of the Freemasons
James Piers St Aubyn (1815-1895), English architect

The St-Aubyn 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: Deus meus, dux meus
Motto Translation: My god is my guide.

Citations +

Cleveland, Dutchess of The Battle Abbey Roll with some Account of the Norman Lineages. London: John Murray, Abermarle Street, 1889. Print. Volume 3 of 3
Hutchins, Fortescue, The History of Cornwall, from the Earliest Records and Traditions to the Present Time. London: William Penaluna, 1824. Print
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 17th October 2018). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 17th October 2018). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 26th March 2019). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html