Lawston History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland
Scotland

Lawston is an ancient Anglo-Saxon surname that came from the baptismal name Law, which was a short form of Lawrence. 1 Baptismal names are a form of patronymic surnames, and come from religious and vernacular naming traditions. In this case, the surname Lawston was originally derived from the given name of the father of the bearer.

Early Origins of the Lawston family

The surname Lawston was first found in Yorkshire where some of the first records of the family were found in the Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379: Willelmus Lauson, Henricus Laweson and Agnes Law-wyf. 2 "The patriarch of the family was John Lawson, who temp. Henry II. was lord of Fawlesgrave, Yorkshire and from him the existing Baronet is lineally descended." 3

Further to the north in Scotland, the name was also patronymic denoting "son of Lawrence." Early records include: "Richard Laurence of Byker of Lanarkshire who rendered homage to King Edward I in 1296; Richard Lawson, who was canon of St. Giles, Edinburgh, and laird of Grothill in 1370; John Lawson de Lyntoun, a tenant under Douglas in Linton in 1376; and Ady Lawsoun, a forestaller in Aberdeen in 1402. 4

Early History of the Lawston family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Lawston research. Another 171 words (12 lines of text) covering the years 1554, 1576, 1610, 1615, 1630, 1659, 1660, 1661, 1664, 1665, 1674, 1679, 1688, 1691, 1711 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Lawston History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Lawston Spelling Variations

The English language only became standardized in the last few centuries; therefore,spelling variations are common among early Anglo-Saxon names. As the form of the English language changed, even the spelling of literate people's names evolved. Lawston has been recorded under many different variations, including Lawson, Laweson and others.

Early Notables of the Lawston family

Notables of this surname at this time include: Sir Wilfred Lawson; Sir John Lawson (ca. 1615-1665), English Naval Officer; Sir Wilfrid Lawson, 1st Baronet, of Isel (c 1610-1688) was an English landowner and politician, Member of Parliament for...
Another 38 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Lawston Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Lawston family to Ireland

Some of the Lawston family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 59 words (4 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 Lawston family

For many English families, the political and religious disarray that shrouded England made the far away New World an attractive prospect. On cramped disease-ridden ships, thousands migrated to those British colonies that would eventually become Canada and the United States. Those hardy settlers that survived the journey often went on to make important contributions to the emerging nations in which they landed. Analysis of immigration records indicates that some of the first North American immigrants bore the name Lawston or a variant listed above: Christopher Lawson arrived in Virginia in 1623; Lettice Lawson settled in Virginia in 1638; Thomas Lawson settled in Virginia in 1623; Charles, Christopher, David, George, Henry, James, John, Joseph, Samuel, Thomas and William Lawson, all arrived in Philadelphia between 1840 and 1860..

The Lawston 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: Leve et reluis
Motto Translation: Arise and re-illumine.

Citations +

Arthur, William , An Etymological Dictionary of Family and Christian Names. London: 1857. Print
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. 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)