The ancestors of the Shaftant family brought their name to England in the wave of migration after the Norman Conquest of 1066. They lived in Northumberland, at Shafto Crag, from whence their name is derived.
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Early Origins of the Shaftant family
The surname Shaftant 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 Shaftant family
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Shaftant research. Another 121 words (9 lines of text) covering the years 1100, 1110 and 1650 are included under the topic Early Shaftant History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
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Shaftant Spelling Variations
Before the last few hundred years the English language had no fixed system of spelling rules. For that reason, spelling variations occurred commonly in Anglo Norman surnames. Over the years, many variations of the name Shaftant were recorded, including Shafto, Shaftan, Shaftoe, Shaftowe, Shaftow and others.
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Early Notables of the Shaftant family
More information is included under the topic Early Shaftant Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
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Migration of the Shaftant family
The unstable environment in England at this time caused numerous families to board ships and leave in search of opportunity and freedom from persecution abroad in places like Ireland, Australia, and particularly the New World. The voyage was extremely difficult, however, and only taken at great expense. The cramped conditions and unsanitary nature of the vessels caused many to arrive diseased and starving, not to mention destitute from the enormous cost. Still opportunity in the emerging nations of Canada and the United States was far greater than at home and many went on to make important contributions to the cultures of their adopted countries. An examination of many early immigration records reveals that people bearing the name Shaftant arrived in North America very early: John Shaftoe settled in Virginia in 1716; Edward Shaftoe settled in Virginia in 1730.
England
