Winterson History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland
Scotland

The name Winterson is part of the ancient legacy of the Anglo-Saxon tribes of Britain. Winterson was a name used for a person born in the wintertime having derived from the Old English word wintar, meaning wet season. 1

Early Origins of the Winterson family

The surname Winterson was first found in Gloucestershire.

"The natural seasons gave personal names in the same way. ' Summer and Winter are both ancient names; in the Cod. Dip. Alamannioe there are two brothers called respectively Sumar and Winter, A.D. 858. Winter was also the name of one of the companions of Hereward the Saxon. 'Although a pre - Norman personal name, Winter survived the Conquest, and attained hereditary honours as a surname in the 13th cent. " 2

Another source postulates "most probably the Old English personal name Wintra (A.D. 699) and Uuintra (A.D. 704), associated in the popular mind with Old English winter, 'winter'. " 3

And another notes "Winter was the name of one of the companions of the Anglo-Saxon Hereward, and Winter and Sommer are both German and modern Danish names. " 4

The Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 listed Wynter Mariot in Norfolk and Gelle Winter in Cambridgeshire, so as you can see the name was in use as both a forename and surname from very early times. 2

Further to the north in Scotland, "Elsi, son of Winter, had a grant of the lands of Thirlstane from Hugh de Morville before 1162. Jop Wyntyr was a charter witness at Yester in 1374. " 3

Early History of the Winterson family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Winterson research. Another 179 words (13 lines of text) covering the years 1162, 1379, 1447, 1452, 1474, 1487, 1488, 1494, 1572, 1589, 1600, 1603, 1606, 1622, 1645, 1646, 1661, 1665, 1666, 1668, 1673, 1686 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Winterson History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Winterson Spelling Variations

Until the dictionary, an invention of only the last few hundred years, the English language lacked any comprehensive system of spelling rules. Consequently, spelling variations in names are frequently found in early Anglo-Saxon and later Anglo-Norman documents. One person's name was often spelled several different ways over a lifetime. The recorded variations of Winterson include Winter, Winters, Wynter and others.

Early Notables of the Winterson family

Notables of the family at this time include Thomas Winter or Wintour (1572-1606), an English conspirator, the younger brother of Robert Winter of Huddington, Worcestershire. "They were descended from Wintor, the castellan of Carnarvon, their name being originally Gwyntou. The family settled at Wych in the reign of Edward I, and there remained till Roger Wintor in the reign of Henry VI married the coheiress of Huddington and Cassy. George Winter, the father of Robert and Thomas by his first wife, Jane Ingleby, was the son of Robert Winter of Cavewell, Gloucestershire. " 5Admiral Sir William Winter or Wynter (d. 1589)...
Another 112 words (8 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Winterson Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Winterson family to Ireland

Some of the Winterson family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 50 words (4 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Winterson migration to Australia +

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

Winterson Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

John Winterson, English convict from Somerset, who was transported aboard the "Agincourt" on July 6, 1844, settling in Van Diemen's Land, Australia 6

Contemporary Notables of the name Winterson (post 1700) +

Ms. Jeanette Winterson C.B.E., O.B.E. (b. 1959), born in Manchester, British Writer, broadcaster and professor of creative writing, was appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire on 8th June 2018, for services to Literature 7
Jeanette Winterson (b. 1959), British novelist

Citations +

Smith, Eldson Coles, New Dictionary of American Family Names New York: Harper & Row, 1956. Print
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
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)
Charnock, Richard, Stephen, Ludus Patronymicus of The Etymology of Curious Surnames. London: Trubner & Co., 60 Paternoster Row, 1868. Print.
Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print
State Library of Queensland. (Retrieved 2014, November 24) Agincourt voyage to Van Diemen's Land, Australia in 1844 with 226 passengers. Retrieved from http://www.convictrecords.com.au/ships/agincourt/1844
"Birthday and New Year Honours Lists (1940 to 2019)." Issue 62507, 28 December 2018 | London Gazette, The Gazette, Dec. 2018, www.thegazette.co.uk/honours-lists