Sheptown History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

Etymology of Sheptown

What does the name Sheptown mean?

The Norman Conquest of England in 1066 added many new elements to an already vibrant culture. Among these were thousands of new names. The Sheptown family lived in Oxfordshire. The name Shipton derives from the Old English words scip, meaning sheep, and tun, meaning enclosure or settlement, and indicates that the original bearer of the name lived near such a place.

Early Origins of the Sheptown family

The surname Sheptown was first found in Oxfordshire where they held a family seat from ancient times, and were Lords of the manor of Shipton-on-Cherwell, and Shipton-under Wychwood in that shire. Conjecturally the Shiptons are descended from Alfsi of Faringdon who held the King's land, or from Ilbert who held his lands from the Bishop of Bayeux, as these nobles were shown as holders in the Domesday Book in 1086, a census initiated by Duke William of Normandy after the Battle of Hastings in 1066 A.D.

Early History of the Sheptown family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Sheptown research. Another 90 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1488, 1561, 1630, 1659, 1666, 1680 and 1748 are included under the topic Early Sheptown History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Sheptown Spelling Variations

Norman surnames are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. The frequent changes in surnames are largely due to the fact that the Old and Middle English languages lacked definite spelling rules. The introduction of Norman French to England, as well as the official court languages of Latin and French, also had pronounced influences on the spelling of surnames. Since medieval scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded, rather than adhering to any specific spelling rules, it was common to find the same individual referred to with different spellings. The name has been spelled Shiptone, Shipton, Shippton, Shipptone and others.

Early Notables of the Sheptown family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was Ursula Southeil (c. 1488-1561) (also variously spelt as Ursula Southill, Ursula Soothtell or Ursula Sontheil), better known as Mother Shipton, an English soothsayer and prophetess who foresaw the Great Fire of 1666 and lived in what would later be called Mother...
Another 48 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Sheptown Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Sheptown family

Many English families emigrated to North American colonies in order to escape the political chaos in Britain at this time. Unfortunately, many English families made the trip to the New World under extremely harsh conditions. Overcrowding on the ships caused the majority of the immigrants to arrive diseased, famished, and destitute from the long journey across the stormy Atlantic. Despite these hardships, many of the families prospered and went on to make invaluable contributions to the development of the cultures of the United States and Canada. Early North American immigration records have revealed a number of people bearing the name Sheptown or a variant listed above: William Shipton who settled with his wife and child and servants in Barbados in 1680; Thomas Shipton settled in Maryland in 1774; James Shipton settled in Texas in 1896..