Linton History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Early Origins of the Linton family

The surname Linton was first found in Linton, now West Linton, a village in the Scottish Borders, (formerly in Peeblesshire) not far from East Linton; Linton, a parish of Roxburghshire; or at East Linton, a small burgh in the parish of Prestonkirk, East Lothian. [1]

One of the first records of the name was Gamel de Lintun who witnessed a charter by Ernaldus, bishop pf St. Andrews (c. 1160-62.) Magister Roberts de Linton was vicar of Kylelan(c. 1214.) [1]

We would be remiss if we didn’t take a moment to discuss the “Worm of Linton” or the “Linton Worm.” Linton Hill at Linton in Roxburghshire on the Scottish borders was the home of this legendary beast which emerged from its lair at dusk and dawn to eats crops, livestock and people. “Wyrm” is an Old English/Scottish word for serpent which evolved to the more modern term “worm.” After many fearful nights, a man of incredible courage, William or John de Somerville, the Laird of Laristin, attacked the worm in its hideout killing it. A stone carving above the door of Linton Church shows this heroic deed. 

Further south in England, the earliest records were: Richard de Linton, London who was listed in the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273; Hugh de Linton, Yorkshire, 20 Edward I (during the twentieth year of King Edward I’s reign) and Laurencie de Lynton (of Linton) who was listed in the Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379. [2]

In England, Linton is a market-town and parish in Cambridgeshire, a township in Derbyshire, a parish in Devon, a hamlet in Gloucestershire, a township in Herefordshire, a parish in Kent and there are two parish so named in Yorkshire. [3]

Early History of the Linton family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Linton research.O

Linton Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Linton, Lynton, Lintern and others.

Early Notables of the Linton family (pre 1700)

Notable amongst the family at this time was Bishop Sydney Linton (1841-1894), the first Bishop of the Diocese of Riverina, Australia. He was consecrated on 1 May 1884 at St Paul’s Cathedral, London.

Linton Ranking

In the United States, the name Linton is the 2,516^th most popular surname with an estimated 12,435 people with that name. [4]

 Migration of the Linton family to Ireland

Some of the Linton family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.

 Linton migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were: 

Linton Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

• Richard Linton, who landed in Watertown, Massachusetts in 1630 [5]
• Marg Linton, who arrived in Virginia in 1657 [5]
• Mary Linton, who landed in Virginia in 1657 [5]
• William Linton, who landed in Virginia in 1663-1664 [5]
• Richard Linton, who settled in Virginia in 1663

Linton Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

• George Linton, who settled in Maryland in 1775

Linton Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

• Mr. Linton, who landed in Mobile, Ala in 1822 [5]
• Archabald Linton, aged 42, who landed in New York, NY in 1834 [5]
• James Linton, who landed in New York in 1835 [5]
• C Linton, aged 25, who arrived in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1838 [5]
• John Linton, who arrived in Allegany (Allegheny) County, Pennsylvania in 1838 [5]

 Linton migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were: 

Linton Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century

• John Linton, who arrived in Nova Scotia in 1774

Linton Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century

• Joseph Linton, aged 8, who landed in Quebec in 1834
• Margaret Linton, aged 18, who landed in Quebec in 1834
• Martha Linton, aged 12, who arrived in Quebec in 1834
• Thomas Linton, aged 16, who arrived in Quebec in 1834
• Anne Linton, aged 4, who arrived in Quebec in 1834

 Linton migration to Australia+

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

Linton Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

• Mr. Moses Linton, (Mason, George), British Convict who was convicted in Lincolnshire, England for 14 years , transported aboard the “Commodore Hayes” in April 1823, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen’s Land) [6]
• Mr. Thomas Linton, English convict who was convicted in Essex, England for life, transported aboard the “Captain Cook” on 2nd May 1833, arriving in New South Wales, Australia [7]
• Mr. Samuel Linton, (b. 1829), aged 13, English shoe maker who was convicted in London, England for 7 years for stealing, transported aboard the “Elphinstone” on 28th July 1842, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen’s Land), he died in 1906 [8]
• Michael Linton, aged 27, who arrived in South Australia in 1850 aboard the ship “Sea Queen” [9]
• Michael Linton, aged 27, a labourer, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship “Sea Queen” in 1850 [9]

 Linton 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: 

Linton Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

• Alexander Linton, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship “Algoa Bay” in 1881
• Adam Linton, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship “Algoa Bay” in 1881
• William Linton, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship “Algoa Bay” in 1881

 Linton 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. [10]

Linton Settlers in West Indies in the 18th Century

• Francis Linton, who landed in Jamaica in 1743 [5]

Contemporary Notables of the name Linton (post 1700) +

• David Linton (1815-1889), one of eight founders of Beta Theta Pi, a prominent college fraternity founded at Miami University in 1839
• William S. Linton (1856-1927), U.S. Representative from Michigan
• Tom Linton (b. 1975), American guitarist
• Ralph Linton (1893-1953), American anthropologist
• William James Linton (1812-1897), Anglo-American wood engraver, author, and political reformer
• James N. Linton, American Republican politician, Delegate to Republican National Convention from Ohio, 1936, 1940, 1952 [11]
• Gladys M. Linton, American Democratic Party politician, Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Tennessee, 1980 [11]
• Dwayne Linton, American Democratic Party politician, Alternate Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Illinois, 1972 [11]
• Dorothy Linton, American Republican politician, Alternate Delegate to Republican National Convention from New York, 1960; Member of New York Republican State Committee, 1961 [11]
• Benjamin F. Linton, American politician, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Louisiana, 1830-41; U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Louisiana, 1838-41 [