Shelton History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

Etymology of Shelton

What does the name Shelton mean?

In ancient Anglo-Saxon England, the ancestors of the Shelton surname lived 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 Shelton family

The surname Shelton 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 Shelton family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Shelton 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 Shelton History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Shelton Spelling Variations

It is only in the last few hundred years that the English language has been standardized. For that reason, early Anglo-Saxon surnames like Shelton are characterized by many spelling variations. As the English language changed and incorporated elements of other European languages, even literate people changed the spelling of their names. The variations of the name Shelton include: Shelton, Sheltone, Shilton and others.

Early Notables of the Shelton 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 Sh...
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...
Thomas Shelton (1601-1650?), was an English stenographer, descended from an old Norfolk family. "It is probable that he began life as a writing-master, and that he was teaching and studying shorthand...
Sir Richard Shelton, Sheldon or Shilton (d. 1647), was Solicitor-General, the elder of the two sons of John Shelton (d. 1601), a mercer, of Birmingham. 5
Meg Shelton (died 1705), known as the "Fylde Hag" was an English woman accused of witchcraft. Her grave can still be seen at St. Anne's Church in Woodplumpton today. Supposedly, she had the ability to...

Shelton Ranking

In the United States, the name Shelton is the 279^th most popular surname with an estimated 96,993 people with that name. 6

Migration of the Shelton family to Ireland

Some of the Shelton 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.

Shelton migration to the United States +

Many English families tired of political and religious strife left Britain for the new colonies in North America. Although the trip itself offered no relief - conditions on the ships were extremely cramped, and many travelers arrived diseased, starving, and destitute - these immigrants believed the opportunities that awaited them were worth the risks. Once in the colonies, many of the families did indeed prosper and, in turn, made significant contributions to the culture and economies of the growing colonies. An inquiry into the early roots of North American families has revealed a number of immigrants bearing the name Shelton or a variant listed above:

Shelton Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Richard and Francis Shelton who settled in Virginia in 1638
Fr Shelton, who arrived in Virginia in 1638 7
Rich Shelton, who arrived in Virginia in 1638 7
Fra Shelton, who landed in Virginia in 1654 7
Symon Shelton, who arrived in Virginia in 1658 7
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Shelton Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Sarah Shelton, who arrived in Virginia in 1701 7
Susanna Shelton, who landed in Virginia in 1714 7
Anne Shelton, who arrived in Virginia in 1714 7
Henry Shelton, who settled in Maryland in 1732
Samuel and Esther Shelton, who settled in Boston Massachusetts in 1765 with Hannah

Shelton Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

William Shelton, aged 33, who arrived in New York in 1812 7
James Shelton, who landed in New York, NY in 1834 7
G W Shelton, who landed in San Francisco, California in 1850 7
S W Shelton, who landed in San Francisco, California in 1851 7
V. B. Shelton settled in San Francisco, California in 1852
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Shelton migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Shelton Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century

Luke Shelton, who landed in Nova Scotia in 1749
Thomas Shelton, who arrived in Nova Scotia in 1774
Mr. Jeremiah Shelton U.E. (b. 1755) who settled in Portland [North End], Saint John, New Brunswick c. 1784 he served in the Loyalist Corps, he died in 1819 8

Shelton Settlers in Canada in the 20th Century

L R Shelton, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick in 1907

Shelton migration to Australia +

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

Shelton Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Miss Bridget Shelton, (b. 1803), aged 23, Irish country servant who was convicted in Limerick, Ireland for 7 years for stealing, transported aboard the "Brothers" on 3rd October 1826, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 9
John Shelton, English convict from Leicester, who was transported aboard the "Andromeda" on October 16, 1826, settling in Van Diemen's Land, Australia 10
Mr. Thomas Shelton who was convicted in Nottingham, Nottinghamshire, England for life, transported aboard the "England"on 31st March 1832, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 11
Mr. Thomas Shelton, (b. 1783), aged 49, English labourer who was convicted in Nottingham, Nottinghamshire, England for 7 years for stealing, transported aboard the "Circassian" on 4th November 1832, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 12
Daniel Shelton, English convict from Sussex, who was transported aboard the "Arab" on February 22, 1834, settling in Van Diemen's Land, Australia 13
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Shelton 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:

Shelton Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Mr. W. Shelton, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Lady Nugent" arriving in Wellington, New Zealand on 17th March 1841 14
Miss Ann Shelton, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Matoaka" arriving in Auckland, New Zealand on 26th September 1859 14
Miss Emma Shelton, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Matoaka" arriving in Auckland, New Zealand on 26th September 1859 14
Mr. Edward Shelton, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Matoaka" arriving in Auckland, New Zealand on 26th September 1859 14
Mr. William Shelton, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Matoaka" arriving in Auckland, New Zealand on 26th September 1859 14
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Shelton migration to West Indies +

The British first settled the British West Indies around 1604. They made many attempts but failed in some to establish settlements on the Islands including Saint Lucia and Grenada. By 1627 they had managed to establish settlements on St. Kitts (St. Christopher) and Barbados, but by 1641 the Spanish had moved in and destroyed some of these including those at Providence Island. The British continued to expand the settlements including setting the First Federation in the British West Indies by 1674; some of the islands include Barbados, Bermuda, Cayman Island, Turks and Caicos, Jamaica and Belize then known as British Honduras. By the 1960's many of the islands became independent after the West Indies Federation which existed from 1958 to 1962 failed due to internal political conflicts. After this a number of Eastern Caribbean islands formed a free association. 15

Shelton Settlers in West Indies in the 17th Century

Samuel Shelton, who settled in Barbados with his servants in 1680

Contemporary Notables of the name Shelton (post 1700) +

Richard Shelton (1933-2022), American writer, poet and emeritus Regents Professor of English at the University of Arizona
Lynn Shelton (1965-2020), American filmmaker, known for writing, directing, and producing such films as Humpday and Your Sister's Sister.[
Winston Shelton, American politician, Member of West Virginia State Senate 6th District, 1873-75; Member of West Virginia State House of Delegates 5th District, 1879-80 16
William P. Shelton (1821-1892), American politician, Mayor of New Haven, Connecticut, 1877-79; Defeated, 1879 16
William Shelton, American Republican politician, Candidate for New York State Assembly from Kings County 14th District, 1904 16
W. C. Shelton, American Democratic Party politician, Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Tennessee, 1888 16
Turner Blair Shelton (1915-1982), American politician, U.S. Ambassador to Nicaragua, 1970-75 16
Ted Shelton, American Democratic Party politician, Alternate Delegate to Democratic National Convention from New York, 1964 16
Stephen B. Shelton, American Republican politician, Candidate in primary for U.S. Representative from Michigan 4th District, 1938 16
Samuel Azariah Shelton (1858-1948), American Republican politician, U.S. Representative from Missouri 16th District, 1921-23 16
... (Another 67 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Historic Events for the Shelton family +

HMS Prince of Wales

Mr. Shelton, British Able Seaman, who sailed into battle on the HMS Prince of Wales (1941) and survived the sinking 17

USS Indianapolis

William Enloe Shelton Jr., American crew member on board the ship "USS Indianapolis" when she was on a top secret trip for the first nuclear weapon, she was sunk by Japanese Navy on 30th July 1945, he was one of the many who were killed in the sinking due to exposure, dehydration, saltwater poisoning and shark attacks 18

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
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
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)
Rubincam, Milton. The Old United Empire Loyalists List. Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc, 1976. (Originally published as; United Empire Loyalists. The Centennial of the Settlement of Upper Canada. Rose Publishing Company, 1885.) ISBN 0-8063-0331-X
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 3rd November 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/brothers
State Library of Queensland. (Retrieved 2016, October 27) Andromeda voyage to Van Diemen's Land, Australia in 1826 with 147 passengers. Retrieved from http://www.convictrecords.com.au/ships/andromeda/1826
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 26th April 2022). https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/england
Convict Records of Australia. Retrieved 8th February 2021 from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/circassian
State Library of Queensland. (Retrieved 2015, January 8) Arab voyage to Van Diemen's Land, Australia in 1834 with 230 passengers. Retrieved from http://www.convictrecords.com.au/ships/arab/1834
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 17th October 2018). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_West_Indies
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, November 2) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
HMS Prince of Wales Crew members. (Retrieved 2014, April 9) . Retrieved from http://www.forcez-survivors.org.uk/biographies/listprincecrew.html
Final Crew List, retrieved 2021, October 30th Retrieved from https://www.ussindianapolis.com/final-crew