Kirtland History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Scotland
Ireland
England

The Strathclyde-Briton people of ancient Scotland were the first to use the name Kirtland. The Kirtland family lived in Cumberland, at Kirkland or in Lancashire at Kirkland. Both place names have essentially the same origin: "estate belonging to a church" having been derived from the Viking word "kirkja" + "land." Kirkland in Cumberland (Cumbria) was first recorded as Kyrkeland c. 1140. 1

Early Origins of the Kirtland family

The surname Kirtland was first found in Cumberland, at Kirkland, a township, in the parish and union of Garstang, hundred of Amounderness as Homines de Kyrkelaund, recorded there during the reign of Edward I. 2

Later the parish of Kirkland in Lancashire, England was another family seat. "After the lapse of a century, it belonged to William de Kirkland, whose name was derived from his residence, and who died in 1363." 3

As one would expect having a close proximity to Scotland, "There are many places of this name in the shires of Dumfries, Ayr, Lanark, Stirling, etc., from one or other of which the surname may have been derived. Johannes filius John de Kyrkeland held land in the territory of Gordon, c. 1280 and later William de Kyrkland was burgess of Glasgow, 1424. Again in Glasgow, listed there was Alan de Kyrklande (1463) and John de Kirkland (1471.) 4

Early History of the Kirtland family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Kirtland research. Another 127 words (9 lines of text) covering the years 1280, 1585, 1586, 1721, 1741, 1760, 1770, 1774, 1790, 1797, 1798, 1808, 1810, 1828, 1840 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Kirtland History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Kirtland Spelling Variations

The variation in the spelling of Medieval names is a result of the lack of spelling rules in the English language prior to the last few hundred years. Before that time, scribes spelled according to sound, often varying the spelling of name within a single document. Kirtland has appeared as Kirkland, Kirkeland, Kirtland and others.

Early Notables of the Kirtland family

Notable amongst the family at this time was Thomas Kirkland M.D. (1721-1798), Scottish medical writer. He practiced at Ashby-de-la-Zouch, Leicestershire. In January 1760 he was called in to attend the steward of Lord Ferrers after he had been shot by his master. Despite Ferrers's threats of violence, Kirkland contrived the arrest of the murderer. By 1774 Kirkland had graduated M.D. at Edinburgh, and subsequently became a member of the Royal Medical Societies of Edinburgh and London. He died at Ashby-de-la-Zouch on 17...
Another 81 words (6 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Kirtland Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Kirtland family to Ireland

Some of the Kirtland family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 50 words (4 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Kirtland migration to the United States +

As the persecution of Clan families continued, they sailed for North America in increasing numbers. In most cases, they found the freedom and opportunity they sought. Land was often available and the American War of Independence allowed Scots an opportunity to solidify their independence from the English crown. These settlers and their ancestors went on to play essential roles in the forging of the nations of the United States and Canada. Among them:

Kirtland Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Philip Kirtland, who landed in Lynn, Massachusetts in 1636 5
Nathaniel Kirtland, who arrived in Lynn, Massachusetts in 1638 5
John Kirtland, who landed in Lynn, Massachusetts in 1641 5

Kirtland migration to Australia +

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

Kirtland Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Mr. Robert Kirtland, (Cutland), English convict who was convicted in Oxford, Oxfordshire, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Bangalore" on 1st January 1850, arriving in Moreton Bay, Queensland, Australia 6

Contemporary Notables of the name Kirtland (post 1700) +

Colonel Roy C. Kirtland (1874-1941), American Air Force pioneer who learned to fly in 1911 in one of the first Wright airplanes at Dayton, Ohio and later organized and commanded a regiment of mechanics, and served as an inspector of aviation facilities in World War I, eponym of Kirtland Air Force Base, Albuquerque, New Mexico
John Kirtland, American drummer who with his wife, Jenny Kirtland of The Polyphonic Spree, co-founded Kirtland Records is a record label based in Dallas, Texas
John Kirtland, American politician, Member of New York State Assembly, 1811-12, 1819-20 7
George Kirtland, American politician, Member of Connecticut State House of Representatives from Wallingford, 1825, 1831, 1834 7
Elisha Kirtland, American politician, Member of Connecticut State House of Representatives from Saybrook, 1838 7
Dorrance Kirtland (1770-1840), American politician, Representative from New York 8th District, 1817-19; State Court Judge in New York, 1828 7
C. B. Kirtland, American politician, Mayor of Salina, Kansas, 1909-12 7
J. Kirtland Denison, American Republican politician, Member of Connecticut State House of Representatives from Chester; Elected 1902 8

The Kirtland 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: Facta non verba
Motto Translation: Deeds not words.

Citations +

Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
Black, George F., The Surnames of Scotland Their Origin, Meaning and History. New York: New York Public Library, 1946. Print. (ISBN 0-87104-172-3)
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 Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 11th September 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/australasia
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, October 6) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, November 17) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html