Polite Surname, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

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Polite is a name that first reached England following the Norman Conquest of 1066. The Polite family lived in Pawlett, a small village 4 miles (6 km) north of Bridgwater, in the Sedgemoor district of the English county of Somerset. The Polite family claim descent from Hercules de Tournon but "he appears to be a mythic personage." This reference continues: "it is really descended from the Norman house of D'Aunou. Baldric Teutonicus, living c. 900 was ancestor [of this family].

Polite Early Origins

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The surname Polite was first found in Somerset, at Pawlett (Paulet.) It was here that "in the reign of Henry I, Fulco de Alnou had a grant from the Crown of Grandon... He had two sons: 1. Walter de Poeleth, who in 1203 paid a fine in Somerset [and] 2. Robert de Polet, mentioned in Buckinghamshire 1198. " A later descendant was William de Paulet who was Lord of Paulet, Stretchill and Walpole, Somerset in 1316. Another reference claims the first record of the name was Sir William de Paulet who died in 1242. This may have been a descendant of the aforementioned William de Paulet but Shirley contends that this latter William was actually "of Leigh in Devonshire." The parish of Peverell Sampford in Devon had a house with an infamous history. "This place is distinguished as having been the residence of Margaret, Countess of Richmond, mother of Henry VII. The house in which she lived, subsequently belonged to Sir Amias Poulett, who had the custody of Mary, Queen of Scots, at the time of her execution; it was a castellated building, erected in 1337, and taken down in 1775."

Polite Spelling Variations

It is only in the last few hundred years that the English language has been standardized. For that reason, Anglo-Norman surnames like Polite are characterized by many spelling variations. 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. As the English language changed and incorporated elements of other European languages such as Norman French and Latin, even literate people regularly changed the spelling of their names. The variations of the name Polite include Paulet, Paulett, Paullet, Pawlet, Pawlett and others.

Polite Early History

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Polite research. Another 117 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1794, 1483, 1572, 1539, 1550, 1551, 1572, 1532, 1588, 1562, 1600, 1588, 1600, 1625, 1699, 1585, 1649, 1610, 1621, 1615, 1665, 1661 and 1722 are included under the topic Early Polite History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Polite Early Notables (pre 1700)

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was Sir William Paulet (1483-1572), English politician, Lord Treasurer of England, created Baron St John (1539), Earl of Wiltshire (1550), and Marquess of Winchester (1551); Sir Hugh Paulet (died ca. 1572), an English military commander and governor of Jersey; Sir Amias Paulet (1532-1588), an...

Another 111 words (8 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Polite Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

The Great Migration

Faced with the chaos present in England at that time, many English families looked towards the open frontiers of the New World with its opportunities to escape oppression and starvation. People migrated to North America, as well as Australia and Ireland in droves, paying exorbitant rates for passages in cramped, unsafe ships. Many of the settlers did not make the long passage alive, but those who did see the shores of North America were welcomed with great opportunity. Many of the families that came from England went on to make essential contributions to the emerging nations of Canada and the United States. Some of the first immigrants to cross the Atlantic and come to North America carried the name Polite, or a variant listed above: Chidock Paulett settled in Virginia in 1637; Thomas Paulett settled in Virginia in 1623; Francis Paullet settled in New Orleans, La. in 1823; Thomas Pawlett settled in Virginia in 1624.

Contemporary Notables of the name Polite (post 1700)

John D. Polite, American Democrat politician, Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Ohio, 1940 ^[4]CITATION[CLOSE]
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, October 29) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html

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: Aymez loyaulté
Motto Translation: Love Loyalty.

Polite Family Crest Products

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)
^ Shirley, Evelyn Philip, The Noble and Gentle Men of England; The Arms and Descents. Westminster: John Bower Nichols and Sons, 1866, Print.
^ Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
^ The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, October 29) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html

Other References

Best, Hugh. Debrett's Texas Peerage. New York: Coward-McCann, 1983. Print. (ISBN 069811244X).
Innes, Thomas and Learney. The Tartans of the Clans and Families of Scotland 1st Edition. Edinburgh: W & A. K. Johnston Limited, 1938. Print.
Markale, J. Celtic Civilization. London: Gordon & Cremonesi, 1976. Print.
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).
Library of Congress. American and English Genealogies in the Library of Congress. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing, 1967. Print.
Bradford, William. History of Plymouth Plantation 1620-1647 Edited by Samuel Eliot Morrison 2 Volumes. New York: Russell and Russell, 1968. Print.
Bullock, L.G. Historical Map of England and Wales. Edinburgh: Bartholomew and Son, 1971. Print.
Burke, Sir Bernard. Burke's Genealogical and Heraldic History of the Landed Gentry: Including American Families with British Ancestry. (2 Volumes). London: Burke Publishing, 1939. Print.
Fairbairn. Fairbain's book of Crests of the Families of Great Britain and Ireland, 4th Edition 2 volumes in one. Baltimore: Heraldic Book Company, 1968. Print.
MacAulay, Thomas Babington. History of England from the Accession of James the Second 4 volumes. New York: Harper and Brothers, 1879. Print.
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The Polite Family Crest was acquired from the Houseofnames.com archives. The Polite Family Crest was drawn according to heraldic standards based on published blazons. We generally include the oldest published family crest once associated with each surname.

This page was last modified on 11 February 2016 at 12:25.