Contents [hide]

Medland History Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables

Ireland United States Canada Australia New Zealand

Contemporary Notables Related Stories Motto Citations

Medland History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Scotland
Ireland
England

From the historical and enchanting region of Scotland emerged a multitude of noble families, including the distinguished Medland family name. Originally, the Scottish people were known only by a single name. Surnames evolved during the Middle Ages when people began to assume an extra name to avoid confusion and to further identify themselves. The Medland surname is generally thought to derive from the Anglo-Norman French word "maltalent," or "mautalent," meaning "bad temper," in turn from the Late Latin "malum," meaning "bad," and "talentum," meaning "inclination," or "disposition." As such, the surname is said to be a nickname surname; originally used for someone with this characteristic. However, there was also a place called Mautalant in Pontorson, France, which may have been a source for the surname.

Early Origins of the Medland family

The surname Medland was first found in Berwickshire an ancient county of Scotland, presently part of the Scottish Borders Council Area, located in the eastern part of the Borders Region of Scotland, where they came from England following 1066. Instances of the name were fairly common in Northumberland during the 12th and 13th centuries. One reference claims the name was thought to have been derived from a place in the parish of Inveresk in the county of Edinburgh called Magdalen Pans, which evolved to Maitland Pans, from a chapel dedicated to St. Mary Magdalen, which formerly stood there.1 Whatever the origin, it seems the first on record in Scotland was Thomas de Matalant, who was settled in Berwick during the reign of William the Lion, King of Scots from 1165 to 1214.

Early History of the Medland family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Medland research. Another 216 words (15 lines of text) covering the years 1486, 1525, 1537, 1568, 1573, 1586, 1587, 1590, 1595, 1616, 1620, 1624, 1645, 1653, 1655, 1682, 1691, 1695, 1710, 1745 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Medland History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Medland Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Maitland, Matland, Maltland, Maltalent, Matlain and others.

Early Notables of the Medland family

Notable among the family at this time was Sir Richard Maitland (1486-1586), lawyer and poet; John Maitland (1537-1595), created 1st Lord Maitland of Thirlestane (1590), and Lord Chancellor of Scotland (1586); John Maitland, 1st Earl of Lauderdale, Viscount of Lauderdale, Viscount Maitland, and Lord Thirlestane and Boltoun, (died 1645), President of the Scottish Parliament; and...
Another 55 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Medland Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Medland family to Ireland

Some of the Medland family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 51 words (4 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Medland migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Medland Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Geo Medland, who landed in Virginia in 1642 2

Medland Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Jus. Hy. Medland, aged 22, who landed in America from London England, in 1893

Medland Settlers in United States in the 20th Century

Samuel John Medland, aged 22, who immigrated to the United States from Cornwall, England in 1906
Ruby Medland, aged 1, who settled in America from Devenport, England, in 1907
Thomas L. Medland, aged 46, who immigrated to America from Glasgow, Scotland, in 1908
William John Medland, aged 36, who immigrated to the United States from Plymouth, England, in 1912
Mary Edna Medland, aged 7, who immigrated to the United States from Plymouth, England, in 1912
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Medland migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Medland Settlers in Canada in the 20th Century

William Edward Medland, aged 69, who immigrated to Toronto, Canada, in 1913
William John Medland, aged 43, who immigrated to Toronto, Canada, in 1923
Isabel Mary Medland, aged 40, who settled in Toronto, Canada, in 1923

Medland migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Medland Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Miss. Jane Medland, British Convict who was convicted in Exeter, Devon, England for 10 years, transported aboard the "Asia" on 9th March 1847, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 3
John Medland, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Psyche" in 1849 4
William Medland, aged 22, who arrived in South Australia in 1852 aboard the ship "Sea Park" 5

Medland 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:

Medland Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Mrs. Alice Mary Medland, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Harwood" arriving in Auckland, New Zealand on 4th November 1858 6
Miss Eliza Medland, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Harwood" arriving in Auckland, New Zealand on 4th November 1858 6
Mr. William T. Medland, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Harwood" arriving in Auckland, New Zealand on 4th November 1858 6
Mr. Thomas Medland, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Harwood" arriving in Auckland, New Zealand on 4th November 1858 6

Contemporary Notables of the name Medland (post 1700) +

James Medland (1808-1894), English county surveyor for Gloucestershire from 1857 to 1889
Thomas Medland (1765-1833), English engraver and draughtsman, landscape engraver to HRH the Prince of Wales
Hubert Moses Medland (1881-1964), British Labour Party politician, Member of Parliament for Plymouth Drake (1945–1950)
Lilian Marguerite Medland (1880-1955), Australian nurse and illustrator, best known for her paintings in Gregory Mathews' books on Australian birds
Felix Medland Arscott (1922-1996), British mathematician, member of the Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematics from 1976.

The Medland 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: Consillio et animis
Motto Translation: By skill and spirit.

Citations +

Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
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)
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 14th February 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/asia/1847
State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) PSYCHE 1849. Retrieved from http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1849PsycheRegister.htm
South Australian Register Tuesday 3 February 1852. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) SEA PARK 1852. Retrieved http://www.theshipslist.com/ships/australia/seapark1852.shtml
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 17th October 2018). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html