Show ContentsHermiteck History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The ancient history of the Hermiteck name begins with the ancient Anglo-Saxon tribes of Britain. The name is derived from when the family resided in the county of Yorkshire in eastern England. Records show that most, if not all of the bearers of the surname can be traced back to a family living at Hermitage Bridge in Almondbury, near Huddersfield in the 13th century.

Early Origins of the Hermiteck family

The surname Hermiteck was first found in the West Riding of Yorkshire at Kirkless, a hamlet, in the chapelry of Hartshead cum Clifton, parish of Dewsbury, wapentake of Morley. The hamlet was originally the site of a Cistercian nunnery, founded in the reign of Henry II and later passed to the Pilkingtons and later "to the Armytages, whose mansion formed part of the conventual buildings, till the time of James I., when the family erected Kirklees Hall, the present seat of Sir George Armytage, Bart." 1

Early History of the Hermiteck family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Hermiteck research. Another 88 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1379, 1596, 1600, 1629, 1641, 1644, 1652, 1653, 1655, 1660, 1662, 1673, 1677, 1694, 1732, 1736, 1737 and 1850 are included under the topic Early Hermiteck History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Hermiteck 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 Hermiteck include Armitage, Hermitage, Ermytache, Ermitage, Armitach, Hermitack, Armitack and many more.

Early Notables of the Hermiteck family

Notables of the family at this time include Timothy Armitage (died 1655), a pastor of the first independent church in the city of Norwich. 2 The Armytage Baronetcy, of Kirklees in the County of York, was created on 15 December 1641...
Another 40 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Hermiteck Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Ireland Migration of the Hermiteck family to Ireland

Some of the Hermiteck family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 35 words (2 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Hermiteck 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 Hermiteck or a variant listed above: Godfrey Armitage of Lynn moved to Boston, Massachusetts in 1639; and Eleazor in 1669 was living in Lynn, Massachusetts.



The Hermiteck 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: Semper paratus
Motto Translation: Always prepared.


  1. Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
  2. Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print


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