Show ContentsFramtone History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The history of the Framtone family goes back to the ancient Anglo-Saxon culture of Britain. It is derived from the family living in Frampton. There are several places called Frampton in England; they can be found in the counties Dorset, Gloucestershire, and Leicestershire having derived from the Celtic river name Frome, of which there were several in pre-Norman England. Frome meant fine or fair. The suffix is derived from tun, an Old English word that meant "farm" or "enclosure." The name as a whole meant "farm on the River Frome", which was a familiar Celtic river name meaning "fair" or "fine" + tun. 1

Early Origins of the Framtone family

The surname Framtone was first found in Dorset, where the family resided at Moreton from 1385. 2 The village dates back to at least the Domesday Book where it was listed as Frantone. 3

There are multiple listings of Frantone in the Domesday Book, specifically in Dorset, Gloucestershire, and in Lincolnshire. Some villages have extended the name as in Frampton Mansell, Frampton Cotterell and Frampton on Severn.

Early History of the Framtone family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Framtone research. Another 121 words (9 lines of text) covering the years 1273, 1355, 1373, 1380, 1567, 1577, 1596, 1622, 1641, 1670, 1708 and 1727 are included under the topic Early Framtone History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Framtone 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 Framtone include Frampton, Framton, Framptoun, Framptown, Framptowne, Framtone, Framptone, Framtoun, Framptowne, Framptons and many more.

Early Notables of the Framtone family

Notables of the family at this time include Sir Henry Frampton; Robert Frampton (1622-1708), Bishop of the Gloucester; and John Frampton, (fl. 1577-1596), an English merchant from the West Country, who settled in Spain, was imprisoned and tortured by the Inquisition, but escaped from Cádiz in 1567. 4 Robert Frampton (1622-1708), was Bishop of Gloucester, "born at Pimperne, near Blandford in Dorsetshire, 26 Feb. 1622. He was the youngest of eight children, his father being a respectable farmer." 4 Tregonwell Frampton (1641-1727), was regarded as 'the father of the turf,' born in 1641 at Moreton in Dorsetshire, and was the fifth son of...
Another 101 words (7 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Framtone Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Framtone 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 Framtone or a variant listed above: Richard Frampton settled in New England in 1783; William Frampton settled in New York in 1821. In Newfoundland, Joseph Framton settled in Trinity Bay in 1760.



The Framtone 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: Perseverando
Motto Translation: By perserving.


  1. Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
  2. Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
  3. Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
  4. Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print


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