Laon History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Scotland
Ireland

Laon is a name that first reached England following the Norman Conquest of 1066. The Laon family lived in Staffordshire. Their name is derived from the Old English word lanu and literally translates as dweller in the Lane.

Early Origins of the Laon family

The surname Laon was first found in Staffordshire where the family claim descent from De La Lane as listed in the Roll of Battle Abbey. 1

This source continues "a family illustrious in history for the part they took in the preservation of King Charles II. After the battle of Worcester, Col. John Lane, head of the house, received the fugitive Prince at his mansion of Bentley, whence his Majesty was conveyed in disguise by the Colonel's eldest sister, Jane Lane, to her cousin Mrs. Norton's residence in Bristol. This loyal lady received after the Restoration an annual pension of £1,000 for life. Her brother, the cavalier Col. Lane was granted the especial badge of honour, the arms of England (three lions passant guardant on a red field) in a canton for his efforts." 1

The Royal Crown in the crest also bears to the family's recognition as does the family motto which translates as "Guard the King."

Bentley Hall [in Bentley, Staffordshire], the ancient manor-house of the Lane family, is distinguished as the residence of Colonel Lane. The Hall is a neat building standing on an eminence." 2

Early History of the Laon family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Laon research. Another 88 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1591, 1609, 1626, 1630, 1644, 1651, 1660, 1661, 1662, 1663, 1667, 1675, 1689 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Laon History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Laon Spelling Variations

It is only in the last few hundred years that the English language has been standardized. For that reason, Anglo-Norman surnames like Laon are characterized by many spelling variations. Scribes and monks in the Middle Ages spelled names they sounded, so it is common to find several variations that refer to a single person. As the English language changed and incorporated elements of other European languages such as Norman French and Latin, even literate people regularly changed the spelling of their names. The variations of the name Laon include Lane, Lawn, Lone, Loan, Lain, Laine and others.

Early Notables of the Laon family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was Benjamin Lany (Laney) (1591-1675), an English academic and bishop from Ipswich, Master of Pembroke College, Cambridge (1630-1644) and (1660-1662), Bishop of Peterborough (1660-1663) of Lincoln (1663-1667) and of Ely (1667-1675); Colonel John Lane of Bentley (1609-1667), English Member of Parliament for Lichfield, Staffordshire (1661 to 1667), and Royalist colonel who had given refuge to King Charles II at...
Another 65 words (5 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Laon Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Laon family to Ireland

Some of the Laon family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 82 words (6 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Laon migration to the United States +

Faced with the chaos present in England at that time, many English families looked towards the open frontiers of the New World with its opportunities to escape oppression and starvation. People migrated to North America, as well as Australia and Ireland in droves, paying exorbitant rates for passages in cramped, unsafe ships. Many of the settlers did not make the long passage alive, but those who did see the shores of North America were welcomed with great opportunity. Many of the families that came from England went on to make essential contributions to the emerging nations of Canada and the United States. Some of the first immigrants to cross the Atlantic and come to North America carried the name Laon, or a variant listed above:

Laon Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Charlie Laon, aged 44, who arrived in Mobile, Ala in 1874 3

The Laon 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: Garde le Roy
Motto Translation: Guard the king.

Citations +

Burke, John Bernard, The Roll of Battle Abbey. London: Edward Churton, 26, Holles Street, 1848, Print.
Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
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)