Foxtombe History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

The ancestors of the name Foxtombe date back to the Anglo-Saxon tribes of Britain. The name is derived from when the Foxtombe family lived in Foxton, a place-name found in several locations in England. There are Foxtons in Cambridgeshire, Durham and Leicestershire, where the name is derived from the Old English portion fox, which means fox, and tun, which meant farm or enclosure.

The name as a whole meant "farm where foxes are often seen." There is another Foxton, in Durham. The suffix has a different root, though. It was called Foxdene about 1170; it meant "valley where there are foxes," from the Old English word dene, which meant valley. Finally, there is a place called Foxdon; it meant "hill where there are foxes," the suffix is derived from the Old English word dun, which meant "hill." 1

Early Origins of the Foxtombe family

The surname Foxtombe was first found in Cambridgeshire at Foxton, a small village in South Cambridgeshire. 2 The village dates back to at least the Domesday Book where it was listed as Foxetune, land held by the Church of Chatteris, part of the Thriplow hundred. It was large enough to hold 8 ploughs with 16 villans (peasants), 11 borders with 6 ploughs 3

The place literally means "farmstead where foxes are seen." 4 Foxton is also a small village in Durham, and in Leicestershire. The Durham village dates back to about 1170 when it was listed as Foxedene, while the Leicestershire village is also listed in the Domesday Book as Foxtone. 5

However, we must look to Leicestershire to find the first records of the family. It was here that the Pipe Rolls of 1159 listed Simon de Foxtone as holding lands there at that time. Later, Robert de Foxton was found in Yorkshire in 1303 and John Foxton was listed in the Assize Rolls for London in 1382. 6

The Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 included Richard A. Foxstune in Suffolk; and John de Foxton in Cambridgeshire. The Feet of Fines listed Simon de Foxton as rector of Middle Harling , Norfolk in 1308 and later, Thomas Foxtone as rector of Hintlesham, Norfolk in 1316. 7

Early History of the Foxtombe family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Foxtombe research. Another 156 words (11 lines of text) covering the years 1273, 1334, 1369, 1408, 1603, 1619, 1621 and 1648 are included under the topic Early Foxtombe History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Foxtombe Spelling Variations

It is only in the last few hundred years that the English language has been standardized. For that reason, early Anglo-Saxon surnames like Foxtombe are characterized by many spelling variations. As the English language changed and incorporated elements of other European languages, even literate people changed the spelling of their names. The variations of the name Foxtombe include: Foxton, Foxtown, Foxtoun, Foxon and others.

Early Notables of the Foxtombe family

Distinguished members of the family include Richard Foxton, an English Member of Parliament for Leicester in 1334. Richard Foxton (died 1648), was an English politician who sat in the House of Commons in 1621. He was mayor of...
Another 37 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Foxtombe Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Foxtombe family

Many English families tired of political and religious strife left Britain for the new colonies in North America. Although the trip itself offered no relief - conditions on the ships were extremely cramped, and many travelers arrived diseased, starving, and destitute - these immigrants believed the opportunities that awaited them were worth the risks. Once in the colonies, many of the families did indeed prosper and, in turn, made significant contributions to the culture and economies of the growing colonies. An inquiry into the early roots of North American families has revealed a number of immigrants bearing the name Foxtombe or a variant listed above: William Foxon arrived in New England in 1758.

Citations +

Harrison, Henry, Surnames of the United Kingdom: A Concise Etymological Dictionary Baltimore: Geneological Publishing Company, 2013. Print
Barber, Henry, British Family Names London: Elliot Stock, 62 Paternoster Row, 1894. Print.
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.
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)