| ![Show Contents]() Stopforth History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
Stopforth is one of the thousands of new names that the Norman Conquest brought to England in 1066. The Stopforth family lived in Cheshire, at Stockport. Early Origins of the Stopforth familyThe surname Stopforth was first found in Cheshire where Sir Robert of Stockport was a Norman noble, son of Robert Fitz-Waltheof, Lord of Etchells, who was a tenant of the Baron of Dunham Massey. "The manor [at Etchells] was anciently in the Stockports, from whom it passed by female heirs to the Aldernes and Stanleys." 1 Over in Bootle, Lancashire the Stockport family one half of the manor with the Beetham family. "The Stockport family held the other half, and appear to have secured a share of the plough-lands. In 1275 Ellen, widow of Robert de Stockport, claimed against Roger de Stockport dower in a messuage, six oxgangs of land, 60 acres of meadow, in Bootle. However, this holding was short lived as The Stockport share was transferred before 1292 to Robert de Byron." 2 Early History of the Stopforth familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Stopforth research. Another 83 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1238, 1636, 1654, 1675, 1700, 1770 and 1954 are included under the topic Early Stopforth History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Stopforth Spelling VariationsMultitudes 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 Stockport, Stopfort, Stopford and others. Early Notables of the Stopforth familyMore information is included under the topic Early Stopforth Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.  Migration of the Stopforth family to Ireland
Some of the Stopforth family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 60 words (4 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
| Stopforth migration to the United States | + |
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 Stopforth or a variant listed above:
Stopforth Settlers in United States in the 20th Century- Charles Stopforth, aged 17, who landed in America, in 1917
- Charles Stopforth, aged 20, who settled in America from England, in 1919
- William Stopforth, aged 25, who immigrated to the United States, in 1919
- Joseph Stopforth, aged 26, who immigrated to the United States, in 1923
- Sidney Stopforth, aged 20, who settled in America, in 1924
- ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
| Stopforth migration to Australia | + |
Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include: Stopforth Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century- Mr. William Stopforth, English convict who was convicted in Lancaster, Lancashire, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Dromedary" on 11th September 1819, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 3
| Contemporary Notables of the name Stopforth (post 1700) | + |
- Paul Stopforth, South African artist who left South Africa because of apartheid for the United States where he was a Lecturer at Harvard University
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: Patriae infelici fidelis
Motto Translation: Faithful to an unhappy country.
- Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
- 'Townships: Scarisbrick', in A History of the County of Lancaster: Volume 3, ed. William Farrer and J Brownbill (London, 1907), pp. 265-276. British History Online http://www.british-history.ac.uk/vch/lancs/vol3/pp265-276 [accessed 21 January 2017].
- Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 16th July 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/dromedary
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Stopforth migration to the United States 
Stopforth migration to Australia 
England
Ireland
