Plate History, Family Crest & Coats of ArmsEtymology of PlateWhat does the name Plate mean? The Anglo-Saxon name Plate comes from the family having resided by a small patch of land. Plate is a topographic surname, which was given to a person who resided near a physical feature such as a hill, stream, church, or type of tree. Habitation names form the other broad category of surnames that were derived from place-names. They were derived from pre-existing names for towns, villages, parishes, or farmsteads. Early Origins of the Plate familyThe surname Plate was first found in Lancashire where they held a family seat from early times and their first records appeared on the early census rolls taken by the early Kings of Britain to determine the rate of taxation of their subjects. Early History of the Plate familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Plate research. Another 61 words (4 lines of text) covering the years 1552, 1608, 1632, 1638, 1640, 1669, 1678, 1694, 1696, 1705 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Plate History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Plate Spelling VariationsPlate has been spelled many different ways. Before English spelling became standardized over the last few hundred years, spelling variations in names were a common occurrence. As the English language changed in the Middle Ages, absorbing pieces of Latin and French, as well as other languages, the spelling of people's names also changed considerably, even over a single lifetime. Spelling variants included: Platt, Plat, Platte, Plait, Plate, Blatt and others. Early Notables of the Plate familyNotables of the family at this time include Sir Hugh Plat or Platt (1552-1608), English writer on agriculture and inventor from Garlickhythe; and John Platt (1632-1705), an English immigrant to America from Ware, Hertfordshire to settle in Norwalk, Connecticut and rose to become a Member of the General Court of the Colony of Connecticut from Norwalk (1678-1694.)
Gabriel Plattes (fl. 1638), was an English writer, said to have been of Dutch extraction, was one of the earliest advocates... Migration of the Plate family to IrelandSome of the Plate family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
In an attempt to escape the chaos experienced in England, many English families boarded overcrowded and diseased ships sailing for the shores of North America and other British colonies. Those families hardy enough, and lucky enough, to make the passage intact were rewarded with land and a social environment less prone to religious and political persecution. Many of these families became important contributors to the young colonies in which they settled. Early immigration and passenger lists have documented some of the first Plates to arrive on North American shores: Plate Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
Plate Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
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