The surname Leathe was first found in Cumberland where they held a family seat as Lords of the Manor. The Saxon influence of English history diminished after the Battle of Hastings in 1066. The language of the courts was French for the next three centuries and the Norman ambience prevailed. But Saxon surnames survived and the family name was first referenced in the 11th century when they held lands.
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Leathe research. Another 87 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1070, 1455, and 1487 are included under the topic Early Leathe History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Only recently has spelling become standardized in the English language. As the English language evolved in the Middle Ages, the spelling of names changed also. The name Leathe has undergone many spelling variations, including Leathes, Lethes, Lerthes, Leathley and others.
More information is included under the topic Early Leathe Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
To escape the unstable social climate in England of this time, many families boarded ships for the New World with the hope of finding land, opportunity, and greater religious and political freedom. Although the voyages were expensive, crowded, and difficult, those families that arrived often found greater opportunities and freedoms than they could have experienced at home. Many of those families went on to make significant contributions to the rapidly developing colonies in which they settled. Early North American records indicate many people bearing the name Leathe were among those contributors: William Leathes, recorded in New York city in 1711.