| Listend History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
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Scotland Ireland Etymology of ListendWhat does the name Listend mean? The roots of the name Listend are found among the Strathclyde-Briton people of the ancient Scottish/English Borderlands. Listend was originally found at Liston, an old barony, now included in the parish of Kirkliston. "This parish, of which about one-fourth lies in the county of Edinburgh, and three-fourths in that of Linlithgow, was formerly called Temple-Liston, an appellation partly acquired from the knights Templars, who obtained the chief lands in the twelfth century. The ancient name of Liston is supposed to have been derived from some considerable family residing here, or from the Celtic term lioston, signifying "an inclosure on the side of a river," and exactly answering to the locality. Upon the dissolution of the fraternity of Knights Templars, the Knights of St. John of Jerusalem became owners of their large estates in this district, which they held till the Reformation." 1 Early Origins of the Listend familyThe surname Listend was first found in Kirkliston, a parish, partly in the county of Edinburgh, but chiefly in that of Linlithgow. One of the first records of the family was Roger de Liston, who witnessed a charter by Richard, bishop of St. Andrews in 1163, and again, before 1173, he witnessed the gift of the church of Hadintona by the same bishop. About 1260, Robert de Liston was chaplain of William, bishop of St. Andrews. 2 Further to the south, some of the family could have originated in the parish of Liston in the union of Sudbury, hundred of Hinckford in Essex. In fact, the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273, list Thomas de Liston as holding lands there at that time. The same rolls list Geoffrey de Lyston in Cambridgeshire. 3 The Feet of Fines of 1235-1236 listed Geoffrey de Liston in Essex and later John de Liston was listed in the Feet of Fines for Surrey for 1307-1309. 4 Early History of the Listend familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Listend research. Another 127 words (9 lines of text) covering the years 1163, 1296, 1334, 1482, 1501, 1668, 1794 and 1847 are included under the topic Early Listend History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Listend Spelling VariationsIn the era before dictionaries, there were no rules governing the spelling or translation of names or any other words. Consequently, there are an enormous number of spelling variations in Medieval Scottish names. Listend has appeared as Liston, Lyston, Listen and others. Early Notables of the Listend familyMore information is included under the topic Early Listend Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Migration of the Listend family to IrelandSome of the Listend family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt. Another 31 words (2 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Migration of the Listend familyThe freedom, opportunity, and land of the North American colonies beckoned. There, Scots found a place where they were generally free from persecution and where they could go on to become important players in the birth of new nations. Some fought in the American War of Independence, while others went north to Canada as United Empire Loyalists. The ancestors of all of these Scottish settlers have been able to recover their lost national heritage in the last century through highland games and Clan societies in North America. Among them: John and Elizabeth Liston, who arrived in New York in 1811; Michael Liston arrived in Philadelphia in 1856.
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: Poco a poca Motto Translation: By little and little.
- Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of Scotland. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
- 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)
- Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
- Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
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