Contents [hide]

Pilling History Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables

Ireland United States Canada Australia New Zealand

Contemporary Notables Related Stories Motto Citations

Pilling History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

Pilling is one of the names that was brought to England in the wave of migration following the Norman Conquest of 1066. The Pilling family lived in Yorkshire. The name was a reference to Pilling Manor, where the family lived. This stately residence is in the parish of Tankersley, nine miles from Sheffield, in the West Riding of Yorkshire, and now belongs to the distinguished Lord Wharncliffe.

Early Origins of the Pilling family

The surname Pilling was first found in Lancashire at Pilling, a chapelry, in the parish and union of Garstang, hundred of Amounderness. " 'Pilyn' was possessed by the abbey of Cockersand until the Dissolution, when Henry VIII. granted lands here." 1 2

Early records of the family are scarce as the first record found was Adam Pilling who was listed in the Subsidy Rolls of Suffolk in 1283. A few years later, Emma Pylyng was listed in the Subsidy Rolls of Sussex in 1296. 3

Early History of the Pilling family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Pilling research. Another 96 words (7 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Pilling History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Pilling Spelling Variations

Before the advent of the printing press and the first dictionaries, the English language was not standardized. Sound was what guided spelling in the Middle Ages, so one person's name was often recorded under several variations during a single lifetime. Spelling variations were common, even among the names of the most literate people. Known variations of the Pilling family name include Pilling, Pillans, Pilland, Pillings and others.

Early Notables of the Pilling family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was

Miss Margaret Pilling-Taylor

Migration of the Pilling family to Ireland

Some of the Pilling family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt. More information about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Pilling migration to the United States +

To escape the political and religious chaos of this era, thousands of English families began to migrate to the New World in search of land and freedom from religious and political persecution. The passage was expensive and the ships were dark, crowded, and unsafe; however, those who made the voyage safely were encountered opportunities that were not available to them in their homeland. Many of the families that reached the New World at this time went on to make important contributions to the emerging nations of the United States and Canada. Research into various historical records has revealed some of first members of the Pilling family to immigrate North America:

Pilling Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

William Pilling, a bonded passenger, who settled in America in 1720
Jonathan Pilling, a bonded passenger, who arrived in America in 1772
James Pilling, who settled in Philadelphia in 1796

Pilling Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Thomas Pilling, who arrived in Philadelphia in 1817
James Pilling, who landed in New York in 1822 4
Elizabeth Pilling, who arrived in Baltimore in 1827
Mr. James Pilling, (b. 1816), aged 21, Cornish miner departing from Falmouth aboard the ship"Royal Adelaide" arriving in the United States on 8th May 1837 5
Mr. Christopher Pilling, (b. 1818), aged 19, Cornish miner departing from Falmouth aboard the ship"Royal Adelaide" arriving in the United States on 8th May 1837 5
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Pilling migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Pilling Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century

Mr. Friedrich Pilling, aged 1 who was emigrating through Grosse Isle Quarantine Station, Quebec aboard the ship "Henrietta Sophia" departing 12th May 1847 from Hamburg, Germany; the ship arrived on 21st July 1847 but he died on board 6

Pilling migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Pilling Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Mr. Thomas Pilling, English convict who was convicted in West Riding, Yorkshire, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Eliza" on 25th June 1828, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 7
Mr. Samuel Pilling, English convict who was convicted in Lancaster, Lancashire, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Barossa" on 8th December 1839, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 8
Mr. Charles Pilling who was convicted in Liverpool, Merseyside, England for 15 years, transported aboard the "David Malcolm" on 13th May 1845, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) and Norfolk Island 9

Pilling migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Pilling Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

John James Pilling, aged 22, a labourer, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Cartvale" in 1874

Contemporary Notables of the name Pilling (post 1700) +

Clarence Pilling, American explorer who discovered the Pilling Figurines, a set of eleven clay figurines made about 800 to 900 years ago
James Constantine Pilling (1846-1895), American Congressional stenographer-transcriptionist
Donald Lee Pilling (1943-2008), United States Navy Admiral, Vice Chief of Naval Operations (1997-2000)
Richard Pilling, American Republican politician, Alternate Delegate to Republican National Convention from Delaware, 1912 10
John Pilling, American Republican politician, Delegate to Republican National Convention from Delaware, 1896 10
Andy Pilling (b. 1969), retired English footballer
Ann Pilling (b. 1944), English author and poet who has also used the pseudonym Ann Cheetham
Harry Pilling (b. 1943), English first-class and List A cricketer
Richard "Dick" Pilling (1855-1891), English cricketer
Mrs. Rachel Pilling M.B.E., British Head of Safeguarding for The Manchester College, was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire on 29th December 2018 for services to Further Education and to Safeguarding 11
... (Another 2 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

The Pilling Motto +

The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.

Motto: Virtute et robore
Motto Translation: By virtue and strength.

Citations +

Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
Guppy, Henry Brougham, Homes of Family Names in Great Britain. 1890. Print.
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
Cornwall Online Parish Clerks. (Retrieved 2018, April 30). Emigrants to New York 1820 - 1891 [PDF]. Retrieved from http://www.opc-cornwall.org/Resc/pdfs/emigration_new_york_1820_1891.pdf
Charbonneau, André, and Doris Drolet-Dubé. A Register of Deceased Persons at Sea and on Grosse Île in 1847. The Minister of Canadian Heritage, 1997. ISBN: 0-660-198/1-1997E (p. 92)
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 17th February 2022). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/eliza
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 24th September 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/barossa
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 21st June 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/david-malcolm
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2016, January 15) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
"Birthday and New Year Honours Lists (1940 to 2019)." Issue 62507, 28 December 2018 | London Gazette, The Gazette, Dec. 2018, www.thegazette.co.uk/honours-lists