Heathcote History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

The origins of the Heathcote name come from when the Anglo-Saxon tribes ruled over Britain. The name Heathcote was originally derived from a family having lived in either of the parishes named Heathcote in Derbyshire and Warwickshire. Of the two, we found more information about the Derbyshire parish. Dating back to the 12th century, this parish literally meant "cottage on a heath," from the Old English "haeth" + "cot." 1

Early Origins of the Heathcote family

The surname Heathcote was first found in Derbyshire where the name could have been derived from someone who lived at "the heath-cottage" or "the cot on this heath." 2

The first record of the family was that of Godfrey de Hetcota who was listed in the Pipe Rolls of Derbyshire in 1166. Years later, Ralph de Hethcote was listed in the Assize Rolls for Staffordshire in 1227. 3 Later again, Walter Hathecok was listed in Essex in the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273. 4

Early History of the Heathcote family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Heathcote research. Another 107 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1609, 1652, 1665, 1689, 1711, 1713, 1715, 1719, 1721, 1722, 1733 and 1759 are included under the topic Early Heathcote History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Heathcote Spelling Variations

Before English spelling was standardized a few hundred years ago, spelling variations of names were a common occurrence. Elements of Latin, French and other languages became incorporated into English through the Middle Ages, and name spellings changed even among the literate. The variations of the surname Heathcote include Heathcote, Heathcoat, Heathcoat and others.

Early Notables of the Heathcote family

Notables of the family at this time include

Sir Gilbert Heathcote, 1st Baronet (1652-1733), Governor of the Bank of England and Lord Mayor of London
Sir John Heathcote, 2nd Baronet (1689-1759), an English Member of Parliament for Grantham (1715-1722.)

Heathcote migration to the United States +

A great wave of immigration to the New World was the result of the enormous political and religious disarray that struck England at that time. Families left for the New World in extremely large numbers. The long journey was the end of many immigrants and many more arrived sick and starving. Still, those who made it were rewarded with an opportunity far greater than they had known at home in England. These emigrant families went on to make significant contributions to these emerging colonies in which they settled. Some of the first North American settlers carried this name or one of its variants:

Heathcote Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Nath Heathcote, who arrived in Maryland in 1682 5

Heathcote Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Edward Heathcote, who settled in Virginia in 1721

Heathcote Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Joseph and Martin Heathcote, who settled in Philadelphia in 1841
Thomas Heathcote, who landed in New Jersey in 1868 5

Heathcote migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Heathcote Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Mr. Samuel Heathcote, British Convict who was convicted in Chester, Cheshire, England for life , transported aboard the "Commodore Hayes" in April 1823, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 6
Mr. Thomas Heathcote, English convict who was convicted in St Albans, Hertfordshire, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Eden" on 27th August 1836, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 7

Heathcote 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:

Heathcote Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Arthur Heathcote, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Hermione" in 1883
R. Heathcote, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Tongariro" in 1888

Contemporary Notables of the name Heathcote (post 1700) +

George Melvin "Jud" Heathcote (1927-2017), American basketball player and coach, inducted into the College Basketball Hall of Fame in 2009
Sir Timothy Gilbert Heathcote (b. 1957), 12th Baronet of Hursley
Sir Leonard Vyvyan Heathcote (1885-1963), 10th Baronet of Hursley
Sir Michael Perryman Heathcote (1927-2007), 11th Baronet of Hursley
Sir Francis Cooke Caulfeild Heathcote (1868-1961), 9th Baronet of Hursley
Sir Gilbert Redvers Heathcote (1854-1937), 8th Baronet of Hursley
Sir William Arthur Heathcote (1853-1924), 7th Baronet of Hursley
Sir William Perceval Heathcote (1826-1903), 6th Baronet of Hursley
Sir William Heathcote (1801-1881), 5th Baronet of Hursley
Sir Thomas Freeman- Heathcote (1769-1825), 4th Baronet of Hursley
... (Another 9 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Citations +

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)
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)
Convict Records of Australia. Retrieved 4th March 2021 from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/commodore-hayes
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 20th October 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/eden