Show ContentsPembertombe History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The name Pembertombe is of Anglo-Saxon origin and came from when the family lived in the township of Pemberton which was in Wigan in the county of Lancashire. This surname was originally derived from Old Welsh and Old English terms which denoted that the original bearers of the Pembertombe surname lived by the barley farm near a hill.

Early Origins of the Pembertombe family

The surname Pembertombe was first found in Lancashire at Pemberton, a township, in the parish and union of Wigan, hundred of West Derby. Adam de Pemberton, who held lands here, was living in the reign of Richard I. In the 34th of Edward I., another Adam de Pemberton brought an action of trespass against Thurstan de Northlegh and Matilda his wife, for cutting down his woods at Pemberton under pretext of taking estovers. 1 Another early branch of the family was found at Aislaby in Durham. "There was anciently a chapel dedicated to St. Thomas the Martyr, which was founded by William de Aslakby (now Aislaby) and Agnes his wife, in 1313; and the place was for several generations the residence of the family of Pemberton, whose mansion has been converted into an inn and several other tenements." 1

Early History of the Pembertombe family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Pembertombe research. Another 91 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1560, 1595, 1611, 1624, 1694, 1697 and 1771 are included under the topic Early Pembertombe History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Pembertombe Spelling Variations

It is only in the last few hundred years that the English language has been standardized. For that reason, early Anglo-Saxon surnames like Pembertombe are characterized by many spelling variations. As the English language changed and incorporated elements of other European languages, even literate people changed the spelling of their names. Scribes and monks in the Middle Ages spelled names they sounded, so it is common to find several variations that refer to a single person. The variations of the name Pembertombe include: Pemberton, Pembertone, Pembartone, Pambarton and others.

Early Notables of the Pembertombe family

Distinguished members of the family include Robert Pember (died 1560), an English classical scholar, he was a reader in Greek at Trinity College, Cambridge and taught Roger Ascham Greek. Henry Pemberton (1694-1771), was an English physician and writer from London. He became a Fellow of the Royal Society and edited some of Sir...
Another 52 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Pembertombe Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Pembertombe family

Many English families tired of political and religious strife left Britain for the new colonies in North America. Although the trip itself offered no relief - conditions on the ships were extremely cramped, and many travelers arrived diseased, starving, and destitute - these immigrants believed the opportunities that awaited them were worth the risks. Once in the colonies, many of the families did indeed prosper and, in turn, made significant contributions to the culture and economies of the growing colonies. An inquiry into the early roots of North American families has revealed a number of immigrants bearing the name Pembertombe or a variant listed above: Alice and John Pemberton, who came to Salem, Mass in 1630; James Pemberton, his wife and two children settled in Barbados in 1630; Phineas Pemberton settled with his wife Phoebe in Maryland in 1682.



  1. Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.


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