Listoh History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

The name Listoh is part of the ancient legacy of the Anglo-Saxon tribes of Britain. The name was taken on by someone who worked as a "litster" or dyer, a trade-name for a person who dyed clothes and other fabrics. This surname is derived from the Old English words lite and litte, which both mean to dye.

Early Origins of the Listoh family

The surname Listoh was first found in Yorkshire where today it is one of the most populous surname in that shire. Early records show "Lystare, clothe dyynge (or lytaster of clothe dyynge." "The pedigree is traced to the sixth of Edward II., when John de Lister was resident of Derby. The elder line was of Mydhope, or Middop." 1 He later transferred himself to Yorkshire on his marriage with the daughter and heiress of John de Bolton 2

Gisburn in the West Riding of Yorkshire "was for many generations the seat of the family of Lister, whose descendant, Lord Ribblesdale, is lord of the manor. Gisburn Park is a noble mansion, containing a valuable collection of paintings; the park is extensive, and approached by a handsome lodge. The Lister family are interred in a vault in the church." 3

"Manningham Hall, [in Manningham, in the West Riding of Yorkshire] the seat of E. C. Lister Kaye, Esq., is a handsome mansion, erected on the site of the ancient house of the Lister family, taken down in 1770, and is surrounded by a park." 3

Early History of the Listoh family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Listoh research. Another 122 words (9 lines of text) covering the years 1200, 1296, 1534, 1555, 1597, 1638, 1639, 1658, 1668, 1705, 1707, 1712, 1715, 1718, 1791 and 1840 are included under the topic Early Listoh History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Listoh Spelling Variations

Before English spelling was standardized a few hundred years ago, spelling variations of names were a common occurrence. Elements of Latin, French and other languages became incorporated into English through the Middle Ages, and name spellings changed even among the literate. The variations of the surname Listoh include Lister, Litster, Lidster and others.

Early Notables of the Listoh family

Notables of this surname at this time include: Michael Lister, High Sheriff of Herefordshire in 1534; Sir Martin Lister (c. 1638-1712), English naturalist and physician, eponym of the Dorsa Lister ridge on the Moon; Anne Lister (1791-1840) was a well-off Yorkshire landowner, diarist and traveler; Thomas Lister (1597-1668), English Colonel in the Parliamentary army during the...
Another 56 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Listoh Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Listoh family

A great wave of immigration to the New World was the result of the enormous political and religious disarray that struck England at that time. Families left for the New World in extremely large numbers. The long journey was the end of many immigrants and many more arrived sick and starving. Still, those who made it were rewarded with an opportunity far greater than they had known at home in England. These emigrant families went on to make significant contributions to these emerging colonies in which they settled. Some of the first North American settlers carried this name or one of its variants: Thomas Lister, who settled in Virginia in 1635; Mary Lister settled in Barbados in 1680 with her servants; Elizabeth Lister arrived in New York State in 1811..

The Listoh 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: Retinens vestigia famae
Motto Translation: Still treading the footsteps of an honourable ancestry.

Citations +

Shirley, Evelyn Philip, The Noble and Gentle Men of England; The Arms and Descents. Westminster: John Bower Nichols and Sons, 1866, Print.
Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.