Nowton History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

Etymology of Nowton

What does the name Nowton mean?

The ancestors of the Nowton family brought their name to England in the wave of migration after the Norman Conquest of 1066. They lived in the township of Knowlton, Kent, from whence their name is taken.

Early Origins of the Nowton family

The surname Nowton was first found in Kent where they held a family seat from ancient times, and were granted the lands by King William the Conqueror for their assistance at the Battle of Hastings in 1066. They were conjecturally descended from Thurstan, a Norman noble, who held the lands of Knowlton, originally spelt Chenoltone, from the Bishop of Bayeux.

Early History of the Nowton family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Nowton research. Another 33 words (2 lines of text) covering the years 1692, 1728 and 1782 are included under the topic Early Nowton History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Nowton Spelling Variations

Before the last few hundred years the English language had no fixed system of spelling rules. For that reason, spelling variations occurred commonly in Anglo Norman surnames. Over the years, many variations of the name Nowton were recorded, including Knowltone, Knowlten, Nowlton, Nolton, Knowelden and others.

Early Notables of the Nowton family

Thomas Knowlton (1692-1782), English gardener and botanist who was superintendent at an early age of Dr. Sherard at Eltham, Kent. By 1728, he had entered the service to...
Another 28 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Nowton Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Nowton family

The unstable environment in England at this time caused numerous families to board ships and leave in search of opportunity and freedom from persecution abroad in places like Ireland, Australia, and particularly the New World. The voyage was extremely difficult, however, and only taken at great expense. The cramped conditions and unsanitary nature of the vessels caused many to arrive diseased and starving, not to mention destitute from the enormous cost. Still opportunity in the emerging nations of Canada and the United States was far greater than at home and many went on to make important contributions to the cultures of their adopted countries. An examination of many early immigration records reveals that people bearing the name Nowton arrived in North America very early: Thomas Knowlton settled in Hingham Massachusetts in 1630; T. and N. Knowlton arrived in San Francisco in 1851; James Nolton settled in Potomac Maryland in 1731.