Haldown History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland
Scotland

The ancestors of the bearers of the Haldown family name are thought have lived in ancient Anglo-Saxon England. They were first found in Halton, a very common place-name in England. The place-name is derived from the Old English terms halh, which means nook or corner of land, and tun, which meant farm or enclosure, and later came to mean fortress and town. The name means "farm in the nook or corner of land." The surname denotes a dweller at same. 1

John of Halton or Halghton (d. 1324), was Bishop of Carlisle, a canon of the Augustinian convent of St. Mary's, Carlisle, which was also the cathedral of the diocese. "In 1295 Halton was sent as an ambassador to King John of Scotland, and on 8 Nov. received a safe-conduct for his return. On 13 Oct. 1297 Halton was appointed custos of Carlisle Castle and of the royal domains. In 1320 Halton went on his last embassy to Scotland, and had his expenses refused by the king on the ground that he went for his own good as well as for that of the realm." 2

Early Origins of the Haldown family

The surname Haldown was first found in Halton, the original name of the parish of St. Dominick, Cornwall. "At the time of Doomsday Survey the district was taxed under the appellation of Halton, by which name a manor is still distinguished in this parish. Halton, which gave name originally to this parish, before St. Dominick either honoured or disgraced it with his name, is a manor, that so early as the thirteenth century belonged to an ancient family of this name. In the reign of Edward II. the male heirs becoming extinct, Halton was carried by an heiress to Wendyn, from which family it was carried by another heiress to Whitlegh, who was sheriff of Devon in the reign of Richard II. and whose grandson was sheriff of that county under Henry VII." 3

Algar de Haltona was registered in 1084, as was Walter de Halton in the Feet of Fines for Lincolnshire in 1270. Richard de Halton was recorded in the Subsidy Rolls for Cumberland in 1332 and later, Henry Halton was listed in the Assize Rolls for London in 1407. 4

The Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 proved the wide use of the name throughout ancient Britain: John de Halton, Yorkshire; Richard de Halton, Lincolnshire; and Simon de Halton, Salop (Shropshire.) Later the Yorksire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379 included entries for Adam de Halton; Emma de Halton; and Johannes de Halton. 5

Early History of the Haldown family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Haldown research. Another 70 words (5 lines of text) covering the years 1084, 1628, 1632, 1677, 1699 and 1704 are included under the topic Early Haldown History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Haldown 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 Haldown include Halton, Haltone, Hultahan, Haltom, Haltum and others.

Early Notables of the Haldown family

Another 43 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Haldown Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Haldown family to Ireland

Some of the Haldown family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt. More information about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Haldown 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 Haldown or a variant listed above: James Haltone who arrived in Philadelphia in 1853; James Halton arrived in Maryland in 1775; John Halton arrived in Potomack in 1747.

Citations +

Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print
Hutchins, Fortescue, The History of Cornwall, from the Earliest Records and Traditions to the Present Time. London: William Penaluna, 1824. 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)