Lecton History, Family Crest & Coats of ArmsThe Lecton name has descended through the generations from the ancient Anglo-Saxon culture. Their name comes from having lived in the place called Leighton which had various locations in England including Huntingdon, Salop (Shropshire), Bedford, North Riding of Yorkshire and Cheshire. This Habitation name was originally derived from the Old English word Leac-tun, which referred to the homestead where leeks were grown. Leyton is an area of north-east London, part of the London Borough of Waltham Forest in Essex. In this case, the name means "settlement on the River Lea" and was also known until 1921 as "Low Leyton" and also included Leytonstone. It dates back to the Domesday Book, when it was called Leintun at that time. 1 Early Origins of the Lecton familyThe surname Lecton was first found in Shropshire, where "the Leightons are stated to have been seated at Leighton in this county prior to the Conquest: Domesday has 'Rainald (vicecom') ten' Lestone; Leuui tenuit temp. Reg. Edw.' Hence there can be no doubt the name Lestone, i.e. Lewi's-town, now Leighton was derived. " 2 Today Leighton is named Leighton and Eaton Constantine. Later in Huntingdon, Roger de Leyton and Clement de Leyton were listed in the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273. The same rolls listed Henry de Leyton in Buckinghamshire. 3 As one would expect, Leighton in Cheshire was at one time held by the family. "At the time of the Domesday Survey this place belonged to Robert de Rodelent, after whose death it was given to the barons of Montalt, of whom it was held by the Leighton family." 4 Today Leaton is a small village in the parish of Pimhill in Shropshire. Early History of the Lecton familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Lecton research. Another 170 words (12 lines of text) covering the years 1391, 1525, 1530, 1549, 1565, 1570, 1591, 1593, 1609, 1610, 1611, 1614, 1622, 1653, 1661, 1662, 1671, 1674, 1684, 1693, 1705 and 1797 are included under the topic Early Lecton History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Lecton Spelling VariationsOnly 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 Lecton has undergone many spelling variations, including Leighton, Layton, Laton and others. Early Notables of the Lecton familyNotables of this surname at this time include: Sir Brian Leighton; Sir Edward Leighton (by 1525-1593), an English politician, High Sheriff of Montgomeryshire for 1549 and 1591; Sir Thomas Leighton (c.1530-1610), an English soldier and politician who served as the Governor of Guernsey and Jersey from 1570 to 1609; Sir William Leighton (c. 1565-1622), an Elizabethan composer and editor who published The Teares and Lamentatacions of a... Migration of the Lecton family to IrelandSome of the Lecton family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt. Migration of the Lecton familyTo 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 Lecton were among those contributors: Agnes Leighton, who settled in Maryland in 1726; James Leighton arrived in San Francisco with his wife in 1850; Richard Leighton settled in Maryland in 1726..
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