Shorthouse History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

Etymology of Shorthouse

What does the name Shorthouse mean?

Shorthouse is an ancient Anglo-Saxon name. It was a name given to a person who was a person who was given the nickname of Short-hose, due to the fact that this individual wore half hose which reached the top of the knee, rather than covering the whole leg. 1 It is generally thought that the name originates from the Norman French word courtheuse ("short stockings").

Early Origins of the Shorthouse family

The surname Shorthouse was first found in Normandy, where Robert Curthose (c. 1051-1134),was the eldest son of William the Conqueror, Duke of Normandy and was known as Robert II from 1087 to 1106.

In England, early rolls show Walter Curtehose (1210-1211) in Wiltshire; John Curthose (1287-1288); and Hugh Curthose in 1392. 1

Early History of the Shorthouse family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Shorthouse research. Another 59 words (4 lines of text) covering the year 1505 is included under the topic Early Shorthouse History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Shorthouse Spelling Variations

One relatively recent invention that did much to standardize English spelling was the printing press. However, before its invention even the most literate people recorded their names according to sound rather than spelling. The spelling variations under which the name Shorthouse has appeared include Shorthouse, Shortus, Shorthose, Shortis, Curthoys, Curthose and many more.

Early Notables of the Shorthouse family

Thomas Shorthouse, Chaplain of Inverary

Shorthouse migration to the United States +

At this time, the shores of the New World beckoned many English families that felt that the social climate in England was oppressive and lacked opportunity for change. Thousands left England at great expense in ships that were overcrowded and full of disease. A great portion of these settlers never survived the journey and even a greater number arrived sick, starving, and without a penny. The survivors, however, were often greeted with greater opportunity than they could have experienced back home. These English settlers made significant contributions to those colonies that would eventually become the United States and Canada. An examination of early immigration records and passenger ship lists revealed that people bearing the name Shorthouse arrived in North America very early:

Shorthouse Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Thomas Shorthouse who arrived in Philadelphia in 1797

Shorthouse Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Thomas Shorthouse, who arrived in New York in 1822
Samuel Shorthouse, who landed in San Francisco, California in 1856 2

Shorthouse migration to Australia +

Shorthouse Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Mr. James Shorthouse who was convicted in Leicester, Leicestershire, England for life, transported aboard the "Bussorah Merchant" on 24th March 1828, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 3

Contemporary Notables of the name Shorthouse (post 1700) +

Joseph Henry Shorthouse (1834-1903), English novelist, best remembered for his first book "John Inglesant"

Sources +

Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 5th November 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/bussorah-merchant