Origins Available: English,
Scottish
The ancient roots of the Jonstone family are found in the Scottish-English border region where the name was first used by the people of the
Boernician tribe. The Jonstone family lived in Dumfries (now part of the region of Galloway), where they held the barony of John's Town.
Early Origins of the Jonstone family
The surname Jonstone was first found in Dumfries where they held a
family seat from very ancient times, some say well before the
Norman Conquest and the arrival of Duke William at Hastings in 1066 A.D.
Early History of the Jonstone family
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Jonstone research.
Another 158 words (11 lines of text) covering the years 1174, 1296, 1732, 1799, 1807, and 1869 are included under the topic Early Jonstone History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Jonstone Spelling Variations
During the era when a person's name, tribe and posterity was one of his most important possessions, many different spellings were found in the archives examined. Jonstone occurred in many references, and
spelling variations of the name found included Johnston, Johnstone, MacIain (Gaelic) and others.
Early Notables of the Jonstone family (pre 1700)
Notable amongst the family name during their early history was Sir Richard Vanden-Bempde-Johnstone (1732-1807), 1st
Baronet of Hackness Hall in the North Riding of the County of York...
Another 27 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Jonstone Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Migration of the Jonstone family to Ireland
Some of the Jonstone 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 Jonstone family to the New World and Oceana
Gradually becoming disenchanted with life in
Ireland many of these uprooted families sailed aboard the armada of sailing ships known as the "White Sails" which plied the stormy Atlantic. These overcrowded ships often arrived with only 60 to 70% of their original passenger list, many dying of illness and the elements, were buried at sea. In North America, early immigrants bearing the family name Jonstone, or a spelling variation of the surname include:
Jonstone Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
- Alexander Jonstone, who landed in San Francisco, California in 1850 [1]CITATION[CLOSE]
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)
The Jonstone 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: Nunquam non paratus
Motto Translation: Never unprepared.