The name Shaftoh came to England with the ancestors of the Shaftoh family in the Norman Conquest of 1066. The Shaftoh family lived in Northumberland, at Shafto Crag, from whence their name is derived.
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Early Origins of the Shaftoh family
The surname Shaftoh 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 Shaftoh family
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Shaftoh research. Another 121 words (9 lines of text) covering the years 1100, 1110 and 1650 are included under the topic Early Shaftoh History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
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Shaftoh 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 Shafto, Shaftan, Shaftoe, Shaftowe, Shaftow and others.
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Early Notables of the Shaftoh family
More information is included under the topic Early Shaftoh Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
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Migration of the Shaftoh 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 Shaftoh or a variant listed above: John Shaftoe settled in Virginia in 1716; Edward Shaftoe settled in Virginia in 1730.
England
