Shelltoom History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

The ancient history of the Shelltoom name begins with the ancient Anglo-Saxon tribes of Britain. The name is derived from when the family resided in the township of Shelton found in five counties in England. Bedfordshire, Norfolk, Nottinghamshire, Salop and Staffordshire all had townships by the name of Shelton. This place-name was originally derived by the Old English elements scylf and tun, which denoted a ledge or plateau in the landscape. 1 2

Early Origins of the Shelltoom family

The surname Shelltoom was first found in Norfolk at Shelton, a parish, in the union and hundred of Defwade. "This place was anciently the property of the Sheltons, who were owners of the Hall, a castellated structure long since pulled down. From that family the estate passed to Sir Robert Houghton, one of the justices of the king's bench." 3

Some of the family held estates in Great Snoring, Norfolk. "The living is a rectory, with that of Thursford annexed, valued in the king's books at £24, and in the gift of St. John's College, Cambridge: the tithes have been commuted for £539, and the glebe comprises 37 acres, with a house, erected by Sir Richard Shelton. The church is a good structure in the later English style, with a lofty embattled tower, and contains some ancient monuments and brasses to the Shelton and other families." 3

The Shilton variant also claims northern England are their ancestral home with Henry of Shilton recorded in the Feet of Fines for Yorkshire in 1231. Again in Yorkshire, we found John de Schelton in the Assize Rolls for 1260. 4

Early History of the Shelltoom family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Shelltoom research. Another 134 words (10 lines of text) covering the years 1221, 1222, 1460, 1475, 1476, 1502, 1529, 1537, 1539, 1555, 1561, 1576, 1579, 1601, 1604, 1612, 1626, 1647, 1649, 1650, 1700 and 1705 are included under the topic Early Shelltoom History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Shelltoom Spelling Variations

Until quite recently, the English language has lacked a definite system of spelling rules. Consequently, Anglo-Saxon surnames are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. Changes in Anglo-Saxon names were influenced by the evolution of the English language, as it incorporated elements of French, Latin, and other languages. Although Medieval scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded, so it is common to find one person referred to by several different spellings of his surname, even the most literate people varied the spelling of their own names. Variations of the name Shelltoom include Shelton, Sheltone, Shilton and others.

Early Notables of the Shelltoom family

Notables of this surname at this time include: John Shelton, also known as John Skelton (c.1460-1529), an English poet; Rauf Shelton of Yorkshire; Anne Shelton nee Boleyn (1475-1555), aunt of Anne Boleyn, second wife of Henry VIII; and Sir John Shelton (1476-1539), courtier during the reign of Henry VIII of England.Thomas Shelton (fl. 1612), was the first translator of 'Don Quixote' into English, may possibly be identical with the Thomas Sheldon who was fourth son of William Sheldon of Broadway, Worcestershire, a kinsman of Edward Sheldon, of Beoley. 5Thomas Shelton (1601-1650?), was an English stenographer, descended from an old Norfolk family...
Another 144 words (10 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Shelltoom Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Shelltoom family to Ireland

Some of the Shelltoom family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 41 words (3 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Shelltoom family

Searching for a better life, many English families migrated to British colonies. Unfortunately, the majority of them traveled under extremely harsh conditions: overcrowding on the ships caused the majority of the immigrants to arrive diseased, famished, and destitute from the long journey across the ocean. For those families that arrived safely, modest prosperity was attainable, and many went on to make invaluable contributions to the development of the cultures of the new colonies. Research into the origins of individual families in North America revealed records of the immigration of a number of people bearing the name Shelltoom or a variant listed above: Richard and Francis Shelton who settled in Virginia in 1638; Samuel and Esther Shelton settled in Boston Massachusetts in 1765 with Hannah; Samuel Shelton settled in Barbados with his servants in 1680.

Citations +

Harrison, Henry, Surnames of the United Kingdom: A Concise Etymological Dictionary Baltimore: Geneological Publishing Company, 2013. Print
Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print