Santforthe History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

Santforthe is one of the thousands of new names that the Norman Conquest brought to England in 1066. The Santforthe family lived in Sandford in Berkshire, Devon, Dorset, Isle of Wight, Oxfordshire, and in Shropshire. These place names come from the Old English words "sand," and "ford." However, the name also seems to have arrived with the Normans, among whom were Ralph and Richard de Sanfort, Normandy. 1

Early Origins of the Santforthe family

The surname Santforthe was first found in Shropshire at Sandford, where Thomas de Saundford, one of the "companions in arms" of William I was given lands, for his assistance. He is mentioned in the Domesday Book of 1086. "Richard de Sanford was certainly seated at Sandford soon after the Conquest, and which has ever since remained their principal seat." 2 3

Sandford Hall, near Whitchurch survives today. This county house is thought to have been built between 1700 and 1750 and at the time of writing is up for sale. Thorpe-Salvin in the West Riding of Yorkshire was home to a branch of the family. "It was anciently the property of the Salvin family, and subsequently of the Sandfords, by whom the now ruined Hall was erected about the middle of the 16th century." 4

Another early record of the family was Fulk de Sandford (d. 1271), also called Fulk de Basset, Archbishop of Dublin, nephew of Sir Philip Basset. "There was a Richard de Sandford, a prebendary of St. Paul's in 1241, and John de Sandford, (died 1294) Archbishop of Dublin, was Fulk Sandford's brother, and is known to be illegitimate." 5

The variant Sande or Sende could have originated in Send, a parish, in the union of Guildford, Second division of the hundred of Woking in Surrey. 6 "A priory of Black canons, in honour of the Blessed Virgin Mary and St. Thomas à Becket, was founded in the time of Richard I., at Newark, in the parish, by Ruald de Calva and Beatrix his wife." 4

Indeed, we found two early listings of the family with very early spellings: William de Sandes in the Curia Regis Rolls of 1205 and Walter de la Sonde in the Feet of Fines of 1248. Both were found in Surrey at the time. 7

Early History of the Santforthe family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Santforthe research. Another 167 words (12 lines of text) covering the years 1296, 1298, 1301, 1332, 1533, 1547, 1555, 1605, 1630, 1639, 1641, 1653, 1680, 1683, 1694 and 1701 are included under the topic Early Santforthe History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Santforthe Spelling Variations

Multitudes of spelling variations are a hallmark of Anglo Norman names. Most of these names evolved in the 11th and 12th century, in the time after the Normans introduced their own Norman French language into a country where Old and Middle English had no spelling rules and the languages of the court were French and Latin. To make matters worse, medieval scribes spelled words according to sound, so names frequently appeared differently in the various documents in which they were recorded. The name was spelled Sandford, Sandiford, Samford, Sanford and others.

Early Notables of the Santforthe family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was John Sandford, English owner of a woolen mill in Stonehouse, county Gloucester, and Mayor of Gloucester in 1533; Thomas Sandford, High Sheriff of Cumberland in 1547 and 1555; Thomas SandfordJohn Sanford (c. 1605-1653), English immigrant to Boston, Massachusetts from Essex, 2nd Governor of Newport and Portsmouth in 1653; and his son, Peleg Sanford (1639-1701), American 10th Governor of...
Another 66 words (5 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Santforthe Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Santforthe family to Ireland

Some of the Santforthe 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.

Migration of the Santforthe family

Because of this political and religious unrest within English society, many people decided to immigrate to the colonies. Families left for Ireland, North America, and Australia in enormous numbers, traveling at high cost in extremely inhospitable conditions. The New World in particular was a desirable destination, but the long voyage caused many to arrive sick and starving. Those who made it, though, were welcomed by opportunities far greater than they had known at home in England. Many of these families went on to make important contributions to the emerging nations of Canada and the United States. Analysis of immigration records indicates that some of the first North American immigrants bore the name Santforthe or a variant listed above: Thomas Sandford, who arrived in Virginia in 1619; Thomas Sandford of Bristol, who arrived in Barbados around 1629, where he became a most prominent and wealthy plantation owner.

The Santforthe 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: Nec temere nec timide
Motto Translation: Neither rashly nor timidly.

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.
Burke, John Bernard, The Roll of Battle Abbey. London: Edward Churton, 26, Holles Street, 1848, Print.
Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print
Smith, Eldson Coles, New Dictionary of American Family Names New York: Harper & Row, 1956. Print
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)