Show ContentsLenton History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Early Origins of the Lenton family

The surname Lenton was first found in Linton, now West Linton, a village in the Scottish Borders, (formerly in Peeblesshire) not far from East Linton; Linton, a parish of Roxburghshire; or at East Linton, a small burgh in the parish of Prestonkirk, East Lothian. 1

One of the first records of the name was Gamel de Lintun who witnessed a charter by Ernaldus, bishop pf St. Andrews (c. 1160-62.) Magister Roberts de Linton was vicar of Kylelan (c. 1214.) 1

We would be remiss if we didn't take a moment to discuss the "Worm of Linton" or the "Linton Worm." Linton Hill at Linton in Roxburghshire on the Scottish borders was the home of this legendary beast which emerged from its lair at dusk and dawn to eats crops, livestock and people. "Wyrm" is an Old English/Scottish word for serpent which evolved to the more modern term "worm." After many fearful nights, a man of incredible courage, William or John de Somerville, the Laird of Laristin, attacked the worm in its hideout killing it. A stone carving above the door of Linton Church shows this heroic deed.

Further south in England, the earliest records were: Richard de Linton, London who was listed in the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273; Hugh de Linton, Yorkshire, 20 Edward I (during the twentieth year of King Edward I's reign) and Laurencie de Lynton (of Linton) who was listed in the Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379. 2

In England, Linton is a market-town and parish in Cambridgeshire, a township in Derbyshire, a parish in Devon, a hamlet in Gloucestershire, a township in Herefordshire, a parish in Kent and there are two parish so named in Yorkshire. 3

Early History of the Lenton family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Lenton research. Another 157 words (11 lines of text) covering the years 1160, 1285, 1296, 1348, 1349, 1376, 1411, 1677, 1841, 1884, 1885, 1890 and 1894 are included under the topic Early Lenton History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Lenton Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Linton, Lynton, Lintern and others.

Early Notables of the Lenton family

Bishop Sydney Linton (1841-1894), the first Bishop of the Diocese of Riverina, Australia. He was consecrated on 1 May 1884 at St Paul's Cathedral, London, and on 15 January 1885 he set sail for Australia...
Another 35 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Lenton Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Lenton family to Ireland

Some of the Lenton family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 57 words (4 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.


Lenton migration to the United States +



Lenton Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
  • Anth Lenton, who arrived in Virginia in 1637 4
  • William Lenton, who landed in Virginia in 1654 4
  • Ann Lenton, who landed in Virginia in 1657 4
Lenton Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • Mr. Frederick Lenton, (b. 1863), aged 26, Cornish settler departing from Liverpool aboard the ship "Umbria" arriving in the United States on 8 April 1889 5

Lenton migration to Canada +

Lenton Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century
  • James Lenton, aged 40, a farmer, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick aboard the ship "Madawaska" in 1833
  • William Lenton, aged 36, a farmer, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick aboard the ship "Madawaska" in 1833
  • Peggy Lenton, aged 36, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick aboard the ship "Madawaska" in 1833
  • Rosean Lenton, aged 13, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick aboard the ship "Madawaska" in 1833
  • Thomas Lenton, aged 10, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick aboard the ship "Madawaska" in 1833
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Lenton migration to Australia +

Lenton Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
  • Mr. Joseph Lenton, English convict who was convicted in Coventry, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Eliza" on 25th June 1828, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 6
  • Mr. Joseph Lenton, English convict who was convicted in Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire, England for life, transported aboard the "Fairlie" on 14th October 1833, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 7
  • Mr. William Lenton, English convict who was convicted in Coventry, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Emerald Isle" on 25th June 1842, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 8
  • Miss Sarah Lenton, English convict who was convicted in Huntingdon, Cambrdigeshire, England for 10 years, transported aboard the "Elizabeth and Henry" on 14th September 1846, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 9

Lenton migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Lenton Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century
  • Mr. H. Lenton, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Gananoque" arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 9th May 1860 10

Contemporary Notables of the name Lenton (post 1700) +

  • John Lenton (1657-1719), English composer, violinist, and singer
  • Tim Lenton, English Professor in Earth System Science at the University of East Anglia
  • Lilian Ida Lenton (1891-1972), English dancer, suffragist, arsonist, and winner of a French Red Cross medal for her service as an Orderly in World War I
  • William Lenton, Australian rugby league player in the New South Wales Rugby League(NSWRL)
  • Lisbeth Constance "Libby" Lenton (b. 1985), Australian member of the Women's Olympic swim team, an Athens gold medalist
  • Alan Lenton, British computer game designer who is one of the pioneers of the massively multiplayer online game industry
  • James Lenton Alty (1939-2022), British computer scientist from Haslingden, Lancashire, Emeritus Professor of Computer Science at Loughborough University
  • Lenton F. Kirkland, American fighter pilot and flying ace in the U.S. Army Air Forces, during World War II, credited with 5 aerial victories


  1. 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)
  2. Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
  3. Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
  4. 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)
  5. Cornwall Online Parish Clerks. (Retrieved 2018, April 30). Emigrants to New York 1820 - 1891 [PDF]. Retrieved from http://www.opc-cornwall.org/Resc/pdfs/emigration_new_york_1820_1891.pdf
  6. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 17th February 2022). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/eliza
  7. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 21st September 2022). https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/fairlie
  8. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 27th March 2022). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/emily
  9. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 13th March 2022). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/elizabeth-and-henry
  10. New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 17th October 2018). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html


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