|
![Show Contents]() Moatt History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
- Origins Available:
 England
Today's generation of the Moatt family bears a name that was brought to England by the migration wave that was started by the Norman Conquest of 1066. The Moatt family lived in Essex. The name, however, descends from the family's place of residence prior to the Norman Conquest of England in 1066, Mott a town in Cotes du Nord, Normandy. 1 Early Origins of the Moatt familyThe surname Moatt was first found in Essex, where the family held a family seat from very early times, having been granted lands by Duke William of Normandy, their liege Lord, for their distinguished assistance at the Battle of Hastings in 1066 A.D. Moate (Irish: An Móta) is a town in County Westmeath, Ireland. In this case the town's name was derived from the term "motte-and-bailey," an early Norman fortification with a wooden or stone keep. The Norman earthwork is still visible behind the buildings on the main street. The Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 listed a wide range of spellings throughout ancient England: Motte (without surname), Buckinghamshire; William Moth, Norfolk; Basilia Motte, Cambridgeshire; and Richard Mote, Oxfordshire. 2 "In the 13th century, Motte, sometimes written Mot, was a common Cambridgeshire name, but it also occurred then in Essex, Hunts, Kent, Bucks, and Oxfordshire." 3 However, Yorkshire proved to be a stronghold for the family for many years: "The Motts have found a home in this county for at least 600 years. In the 13th century the name of Motte occurred in Bradfield in this county. From the 14th to the 17th century there resided a notable gentle family of Mott at Shalford; some of the members lived at Braintree, in the same neighbourhood, in the 16th and 17th centuries; Sherne Hall, Shalford, was in the possession of the family in the 17th century." 3 Early History of the Moatt familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Moatt research. Another 152 words (11 lines of text) covering the years 1379, 1583, 1588, 1686, 1693, 1710 and 1738 are included under the topic Early Moatt History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Moatt Spelling VariationsBefore English spelling was standardized a few hundred years ago, spelling variations of names were a common occurrence. Elements of Latin, Norman French and other languages became incorporated into English throughout the Middle Ages, and name spellings changed even among the literate. The variations of the surname Moatt include Mott, Motte, Mote, De Mott, De Motte, Demott and others. Early Notables of the Moatt familyAnother 35 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Moatt Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Migration of the Moatt familyIn England at this time, the uncertainty of the political and religious environment of the time caused many families to board ships for distant British colonies in the hopes of finding land and opportunity, and escaping persecution. The voyages were expensive, crowded, and difficult, though, and many arrived in North America sick, starved, and destitute. Those who did make it, however, were greeted with greater opportunities and freedoms that they could have experienced at home. Many of those families went on to make important contributions to the young nations in which they settled. Early immigration records have shown some of the first Moatts to arrive on North American shores: Adam Mott, who arrived with his wife Sarah and five children in Boston in 1635; Nathaniel Mott, who arrived in New England in 1681; Peter Mott, who came to New York in 1711.
- Barber, Henry, British Family Names London: Elliot Stock, 62 Paternoster Row, 1894. Print.
- Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
- Guppy, Henry Brougham, Homes of Family Names in Great Britain. 1890. Print.
|
