Show ContentsSaltonstal History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Early Origins of the Saltonstal family

The surname Saltonstal was first found in Yorkshire where the family claim descendancy from Robert de Saltonstall who held lands in Warley, near Halifax, Yorkshire in 1274.

While this is the generally accepted origin of the family, two sources claim the family could have originated at Salternstall in Kent which literally meant "salt works place." 1 2

The American colonist Sir Richard Saltonstall (1586-1661) who led a group of English settlers up the Charles River to settle in what is now Watertown, Massachusetts in 1630 was a nephew of the Lord Mayor of London Richard Saltonstall (1517-1600.) The latter claimed descendancy from Yorkshire. In fact, Sir Richard served as a Justice of the Peace for the West Riding of Yorkshire and was Lord of the Manor of Ledsham before his departure for America.

Early History of the Saltonstal family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Saltonstal research. Another 80 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1517, 1586, 1600, 1630, 1639, 1661, 1666, 1692, 1707, 1708 and 1724 are included under the topic Early Saltonstal History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Saltonstal Spelling Variations

Sound was what guided spelling in the essentially pre-literate Middle Ages, so one person's name was often recorded under several variations during a single lifetime. Also, before the advent of the printing press and the first dictionaries, the English language was not standardized. Therefore, spelling variations were common, even among the names of the most literate people. Known variations of the Saltonstal family name include Saltonstall, Salton, Saltonston and others.

Early Notables of the Saltonstal family

Notables of the family at this time include

  • Richard Saltonstall (1517-1600), Lord Mayor of London. His nephew Sir Richard Saltonstall (1586-1661) led a group of English settlers up the Charles River to settle in what is now Watertown, Massachus...
  • Gurdon Saltonstall (1666-1724), born in Haverhill, Massachusetts Bay Colony was a son of Nathaniel Saltonstall and was the 25th Governor of the Colony of Connecticut from 1708 to 1724

Migration of the Saltonstal family

For political, religious, and economic reasons, thousands of English families boarded ships for Ireland, Canada, the America colonies, and many of smaller tropical colonies in the hope of finding better lives abroad. Although the passage on the cramped, dank ships caused many to arrive in the New World diseased and starving, those families that survived the trip often went on to make valuable contributions to those new societies to which they arrived. Early immigrants bearing the Saltonstal surname or a spelling variation of the name include: Andrew Hutchins Mickle Saltonstall of Berkeley Springs who settled in West Virginia about 1630; Sir Richard Saltonstall settled in Boston Massachusetts in 1630.



The Saltonstal 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: Teneo tenuere majores
Motto Translation: I hold (what) my ancestors held.


  1. Harrison, Henry, Surnames of the United Kingdom: A Concise Etymological Dictionary Baltimore: Geneological Publishing Company, 2013. Print
  2. Smith, Eldson Coles, New Dictionary of American Family Names New York: Harper & Row, 1956. Print


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