The name Shaftyn reached English shores for the first time with the ancestors of the Shaftyn family as they migrated following the Norman Conquest of 1066. The Shaftyn family lived in Northumberland, at Shafto Crag, from whence their name is derived.
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Early Origins of the Shaftyn family
The surname Shaftyn 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 Shaftyn family
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Shaftyn research. Another 121 words (9 lines of text) covering the years 1100, 1110 and 1650 are included under the topic Early Shaftyn History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
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Shaftyn Spelling Variations
Anglo-Norman names tend to be marked by an enormous number of spelling variations. This is largely due to the fact that Old and Middle English lacked any spelling rules when Norman French was introduced in the 11th century. The languages of the English courts at that time were French and Latin. These various languages mixed quite freely in the evolving social milieu. The final element of this mix is that medieval scribes spelled words according to their sounds rather than any definite rules, so a name was often spelled in as many different ways as the number of documents it appeared in. The name was spelled Shafto, Shaftan, Shaftoe, Shaftowe, Shaftow and others.
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Early Notables of the Shaftyn family
More information is included under the topic Early Shaftyn Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
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Migration of the Shaftyn family
Because of the political and religious discontent in England, families began to migrate abroad in enormous numbers. Faced with persecution and starvation at home, the open frontiers and generally less oppressive social environment of the New World seemed tantalizing indeed to many English people. The trip was difficult, and not all made it unscathed, but many of those who did get to Canada and the United States made important contributions to the young nations in which they settled. Some of the first North American settlers with Shaftyn name or one of its variants: John Shaftoe settled in Virginia in 1716; Edward Shaftoe settled in Virginia in 1730.
England
