Contents [hide]

Shotter History Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables

Ireland United States Australia New Zealand

Contemporary Notables Related Stories Motto Citations

Shotter History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

The ancient name Shotter is a Norman name that would have been developed in England after the Norman Conquest of England in 1066. This name was a name given to a stocky or short-necked person which was in turn derived from the Anglo-Saxon word scorkhals meaning a person with a short neck. 1

Early Origins of the Shotter family

The surname Shotter was first found in Northumberland where they held a family seat from very early times being granted lands at Shotthaugh by William after the Conquest in 1066 A.D. Shorten is a variant of the well-known Shortall. (Woulfe)

Early History of the Shotter family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Shotter research. Another 146 words (10 lines of text) covering the years 1290, 1326, 1503, 1505, 1507, 1509, 1535, 1639, 1641 and 1642 are included under the topic Early Shotter History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Shotter 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 Shotter were recorded, including Shorthalls, Shortals, Shortall, Shottall, Shottalls, Shortells, Shortell, Shorthill, Shotthaugh, Shotter and many more.

Early Notables of the Shotter family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was Robert Shorton (died 1535), English divine, Archdeacon of Bath, one of the earliest scholars of Jesus College, Cambridge. He graduated M.A. in 1503, and was elected fellow of...
Another 35 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Shotter Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Shotter family to Ireland

Some of the Shotter family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 128 words (9 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Shotter migration to the United States +

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 Shotter arrived in North America very early:

Shotter Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

John Shotter, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1761 2

Shotter Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Spencer Wood Shotter, who landed in New York in 1837 2
Robert Shotter, aged 34, who arrived in New York in 1862 2

Shotter migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Shotter Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Mr. William Shotter, (b. 1809), aged 26, English farm labourer who was convicted in Derby, Derbyshire, England for life for stealing cows, transported aboard the "Aurora" on 18th June 1835, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land), he died in 1889 3

Shotter migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Shotter Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Richard Shotter, aged 15, a labourer, who arrived in Port Nicholson aboard the ship "Gertrude" in 1841 4
Charles Shotter, aged 13, who arrived in Port Nicholson aboard the ship "Gertrude" in 1841 4
George Shotter, aged 12, who arrived in Port Nicholson aboard the ship "Gertrude" in 1841 4
John Shotter, aged 9, who arrived in Port Nicholson aboard the ship "Gertrude" in 1841 4
Fanny Shotter, aged 7, who arrived in Port Nicholson aboard the ship "Gertrude" in 1841 4

Contemporary Notables of the name Shotter (post 1700) +

Edward Frank Shotter (1933-2019), English Anglican priest, most notable for founding the London Medical Group in the mid-1960s
Winifred Florence Shotter (1904-1996), British actress, known for her appearances in the Aldwych farces of the 1920s and early 1930s, sister of Constance Shotter
Ralph Champion Shotter (1907-1994), birth name of Ralph Michael, British actor, known for Dead of Night, A Night to Remember, Children of the Damned, Grand Prix, The Assassination Bureau and Empire of the Sun
David Shotter (1939-2021), British archaeologist, Professor of Roman Imperial History at the University of Lancaster
Constance Ada Shotter (1911-1989), Lady Taylor was a British actress, known for Off the Dole (1935), To Brighton with Gladys (1933) and Borrowed Clothes (1934)
Thomas Shotter Boys (1803-1874), English watercolour painter and lithographer

The Shotter Motto +

The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.

Motto: Certavi et vici
Motto Translation: I have fought and conquered.

Citations +

Black, George F., The Surnames of Scotland Their Origin, Meaning and History. New York: New York Public Library, 1946. Print. (ISBN 0-87104-172-3)
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 20th August 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/aurora
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 12th December 2018). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html