Mittane History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

Mittane is one of the many names that the Normans brought with them when they conquered England in 1066. The Mittane 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 Mittane family

The surname Mittane 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 Mittane family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Mittane 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 Mittane History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Mittane Spelling Variations

Anglo-Norman names tend to be marked by an enormous number of spelling variations. This is largely due to the fact that Old and Middle English lacked any spelling rules when Norman French was introduced in the 11th century. The languages of the English courts at that time were French and Latin. These various languages mixed quite freely in the evolving social milieu. The final element of this mix is that medieval scribes spelled words according to their sounds rather than any definite rules, so a name was often spelled in as many different ways as the number of documents it appeared in. The name was spelled Mytton, Mutton, Myreton, Myrton, Mouton, Myttins, Mitton and many more.

Early Notables of the Mittane 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 Mittane Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Mittane family

Because of the political and religious discontent in England, families began to migrate abroad in enormous numbers. Faced with persecution and starvation at home, the open frontiers and generally less oppressive social environment of the New World seemed tantalizing indeed to many English people. The trip was difficult, and not all made it unscathed, but many of those who did get to Canada and the United States made important contributions to the young nations in which they settled. Some of the first North American settlers with Mittane name or one of its variants: 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)