The name Shafftough was brought to England by the Normans when they conquered the country in 1066. The ancestors of the Shafftough family lived in Northumberland, at Shafto Crag, from whence their name is derived.
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Early Origins of the Shafftough family
The surname Shafftough was first found in Northumberland at either Shafto East or Shafto West. Both townships have remained rather small over the years with populations less than 50 people but both have considerable antiquity, being mentioned in records of the 13th century. In 1378, Matthew Bolton, vicar of Newcastle, and others, were feoffees for founding a chantry in the "chapel of Shafthowe." The Shaftos were traditional landowners of the area with the Aynsleys, and the Vaughans. 1
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Early History of the Shafftough family
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Shafftough research. Another 121 words (9 lines of text) covering the years 1100, 1110 and 1650 are included under the topic Early Shafftough History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
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Shafftough 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 Shafftough 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 Shafftough include Shafto, Shaftan, Shaftoe, Shaftowe, Shaftow and others.
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Early Notables of the Shafftough family
More information is included under the topic Early Shafftough Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
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Migration of the Shafftough family
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 Shafftough, or a variant listed above: John Shaftoe settled in Virginia in 1716; Edward Shaftoe settled in Virginia in 1730.
England
