Sainthill History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

• Origins Available:
• England
• Ireland

Etymology of Sainthill

The illustrious surname Sainthill finds its origin in the rocky, sea swept coastal area of southwestern England known as Cornwall. Although surnames were fairly widespread in medieval England, people were originally known only by a single name. The process by which hereditary surnames were adopted is extremely interesting. As populations grew, people began to assume an extra name to avoid confusion and to further identify themselves. Under the Feudal System of government, surnames evolved and they often reflected life on the manor and in the field. Lords and their tenants often became known by the name of the feudal territory they owned or lived on. Unlike most Celtic peoples, who favored patronymic names, the Cornish predominantly used local surnames. This was due to the heavy political and cultural influence of the English upon the Cornish People at the time that surnames first came into use. Local surnames were derived from where a person lived, held land, or was born. While many Cornish surnames of this sort appear to be topographic surnames, which were given to people who resided near physical features such as hills, streams, churches, or types of trees, many are actually habitation surnames derived from lost or unrecorded place names. The name Sainthill is a local type of surname and the Sainthill family lived in Devon. While the Sainthill name would seem to be derived from the name of a saint, some scholars suggest that it is actually a corruption of the place-name Sweynthull.

Early Origins of the Sainthill family

Early History of the Sainthill family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Sainthill research. Another 117 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1524, 1547, 1554, 1571, 1593, 1645, 1648, 1698, 1749, 1750 and 1775 are included under the topic Early Sainthill History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Sainthill Spelling Variations

Cornish surnames are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. The frequent changes in surnames are due to the fact that the Old and Middle English languages lacked definite spelling rules. The official court languages, which were Latin and French, were also influential on the spelling of a surname. Since the spelling of surnames was rarely consistent in medieval times, and scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded rather than adhering to any specific spelling rules, it was common to find the same individual referred to with different spellings of their surname in the ancient chronicles. Moreover, a large number of foreign names were brought into England, which accelerated and accentuated the alterations to the spelling of various surnames. Lastly, spelling variations often resulted from the linguistic differences between the people of Cornwall and the rest of England. The Cornish spoke a unique Brythonic Celtic language which was first recorded in written documents during the 10th century. However, they became increasingly Anglicized, and Cornish became extinct as a spoken language in 1777, although it has been revived by Cornish patriots in the modern era. The name has been spelled StHill, Sainthill and others.

Early Notables of the Sainthill family

• Peter Nicolas Sainthill (c. 1524-1571) was an English politician, Member (MP) of the Parliament of England for Grampound in 1547 and for Saltash in April 1554. He held Bradninch Manor House in Devon
• His grandson, Captain Peter Sainthill (1593-1648) of Bradninch in Devon, was twice elected a Member of Parliament for Tiverton in Devon and was the inspiration of Peter's Banquet or The Cavalier in th...
• Sir Peter Sainthill F.R.S. (1698-1775) was a British surgeon and a Fellow of the Royal Society who served as Master of the Company of Surgeons (1749-1750.)

Migration of the Sainthill family to Ireland

Some of the Sainthill 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.