Mitane History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

The name Mitane arrived in England after the Norman Conquest of 1066. The Mitane family lived in Mitton, in the West Riding of Yorkshire. Their name, however, is a reference to Moutons, in Calvados, Normandy, the family's place of residence prior to the Norman Conquest of England in 1066. 1

Early Origins of the Mitane family

The surname Mitane was first found in the West Riding of Yorkshire, but partly in Lancashire. The parish of Little Mitton in Lancashire played an important role in the family's lineage. "It gave name as early as the time of Richard I. to a knightly family, of whom Sir Ralphe de Little Mitton is mentioned in the Townley MSS." 2

"Aighton [in Lancashire], under the name of Halghton, was granted by Ilbert de Lacy, prior to 1102, with other lands, to a family who is supposed to have taken the surname of Mitton." 2

Literally the place name of Mitton means "farmstead where two rivers join," from the Old English words "mythe" + "tun." Great Mitton and Little Mitton collectively date back to the Domesday Book of 1086 where they were first listed as Mitune. 3 Today, they are both in Lancashire, but historically they were in Yorkshire.

One of the first records of the family was Alan and Jordan de Mitton who were listed in the Assize Rolls of Yorkshire in 1219 and then again in the Assize Rolls of Lancashire in 1246. 4

The Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379 list Adam de Mytton and Johannes de Mytton, sutor. 5

Early History of the Mitane family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Mitane research. Another 147 words (10 lines of text) covering the years 1373, 1558, 1565, 1570, 1586, 1597, 1604, 1615, 1616, 1624, 1629, 1637, 1656, 1666, 1796 and 1834 are included under the topic Early Mitane History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Mitane Spelling Variations

Anglo-Norman names are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. When the Normans became the ruling people of England in the 11th century, they introduced a new language into a society where the main languages of Old and later Middle English had no definite spelling rules. These languages were more often spoken than written, so they blended freely with one another. Contributing to this mixing of tongues was the fact that medieval scribes spelled words according to sound, ensuring that a person's name would appear differently in nearly every document in which it was recorded. The name has been spelled Mytton, Mutton, Myreton, Myrton, Mouton, Myttins, Mitton and many more.

Early Notables of the Mitane family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was Sir Peter Mutton (1565-1637), an English lawyer and politician who sat in the House of Commons between 1604 and 1624; and Thomas Mytton (c.1597-1656), a parliamentarian general of the English Civil War. He was born about 1597, son of Richard Mytton of Halston, Shropshire, by Margaret, daughter of Thomas Owen of Condover, matriculated at Balliol College, Oxford, on 11 May 1615, aged 18. He became a student of Lincoln's Inn in 1616. In 1629 Mytton married Magdalen, daughter of Sir Robert Napier of Luton, Bedfordshire, and sister of the second wife of Sir...
Another 205 words (15 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Mitane Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Mitane family

For many English families, the political and religious disarray that plagued their homeland made the frontiers of the New World an attractive prospect. Thousands migrated, aboard cramped disease-ridden ships. They arrived sick, poor, and hungry, but were welcomed in many cases with far greater opportunity than at home in England. Many of these hardy settlers went on to make important contributions to the emerging nations in which they landed. Among early immigrants bearing the name Mitane or a variant listed above were: Kathleen Mutton, who settled in Virginia in 1648 with her sister Mary; Richard Mutton, who arrived in Virginia in 1606; fourteen years before the ".

Citations +

The Norman People and Their Existing Descendants in the British Dominions and the United States Of America. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing, 1975. Print. (ISBN 0-8063-0636-X)
Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)