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The "English" history items were borrowed from other Houghton Family Sites and features a Houghton History in England and references our Ancient Norman Heritage. The specific line stated in the English History may very well be our own roots leading to our "Houghton" introduction to the new colonies via Ralph Houghton or his cousin John Houghton. This is not yet verified. However, it appears we may be from Ralph. It makes interested reading. Perhaps it will enlighten you on your family heritage.
Hoghton is an old way of spelling Houghton.
Thomas Hoghton, owner of Hoghton Tower (b. 1540 England) is John Houghton the
immigrant’s (b. 1624) Great Grandfather. Many people believe that it is Ralph
who was related to the Thomas who lived there. I believe that too. They say that
John and Ralph were distant cousins. Wouldn’t it then make them 3rd cousins?
Also, John’s Grandparents are related by blood. They are Thomas Houghton and
Catharine Houghton (maiden name) That makes it more complicated. In a nut shell,
it both doubles the chances that John and Ralph are cousins and makes it harder
to figure out how. They later sailed together to Lancaster Mass. on the Ship
Abigail. Surnames
were not used until about 800 yrs ago, and then they were used only by the
French. Usually the surname told where you were from as for example, Henricus
de Archy, meaning Henry of
Archy. Later the de
was dropped from the surname
and the place it represented slowly change in spelling to the different name
forms we have today. Name Origin (AD 512 Norman): The Houghton family is an old one of Norman
descent, with a Saxon/Norman history dating from 1065. That is when documents show that the
earliest Houghton came to England on the same ship with William the Conqueror. The Houghton's can trace their linage back to one common ancestor named Herverus. He was a Norman French who accompanied the armies of William the Conqueror when the Norman's invaded England in the year 1066. After the battle when the Normans ruled England, he acquired several tracts of land in Suffolk, Norfolk and Lancashire. His grandson, Hamo, married Maude, the lovely daughter of Richard Bussel, second baron of Penwortham. He received in the marriage the Manor of Holton This is a majestic old manor located in Lancashire on top of a conspicuously high hill over looking a somewhat flat valley. Harno's son took the name William De Hocton, where Hocton is the Anglo-Saxon word for 'high town" or "high place", after the manor where the family lived. This was in the year 1140. All Houghton's today can trace themselves back to William De Hocton. About
1200, William's grandson changed the spelling from De Hocton
to De Hoghton, his name being Adam De
Hoghton. It wasn't until the
year 1458 that the De
was omitted from the name.
This was done by Sir Henry or his son, Sir William Hoghton. The name remained
unchanged by this family until in seventeenth century. Two cousins, Ralph and
John, from the Hoghton family branch came to America about 1647 - 1650. It is
reported that after entering this country, Ralph changed the spelling by adding
the "U" to Hoghton making it Houghton,
as is the spelling today. Name
Pronunciation dispute:
The Houghton coat of arms is the oldest Cheshire coat of arms and the second oldest in England. When an English noble designed a crest for his family, it contained symbols that had characteristics belonging to him or his family. It would remain like a family surname. His sons would keep the same basic crest but would alter it a little so theirs would be unique to them also. So the crest was always changing a little as it passed through time. Eventually, after several generations of change, the new crest might have no resemblance to the original. This is true for most families. This is an earlier version found in a Houghton book in 1912 published by Dr. John Houghton. There are several variations in the book. Also, Burke's Armory, is a very large, old reference book of heraldry used by most genealogist.
Motto
"Malgre le tort" (Despite the Wrong)
English
History In the 1500s, the Catholic Houghton's of
Lancashire England were underground supporters of Catholicism. These were the
days when the Catholic Faith was outlawed. Houghton Politics: When Protestant vs Catholic ended -- Royalist vs
Parliamentarian began. By this time our American roots were already
planted. However, this indicates how our family was involved with British
politics and may give some insight into why they left the homeland for America. Gilbert and his royalist regiment seized
Manchester, yet it still remain Parliamentarian. Having lost Blackburn , Sir Gilbert Houghton
had no other choice but to retake it because of the fact that Blackburn was so
close to Houghton Tower, his home. He brought his force, on Christmas Eve, to
the outskirts of Blackburn. Probably feeling uncertain of his men after their
last defeat Sir Gilbert failed to close on the Blackburn garrison and the one
small canon that they possessed did no damage. At nightfall they retreated so
that "they myght eet theyr Chrystmas pyes at home" as the records have
it. The only damage that Blackburn sustained was when a bullet entered a house
and shot out the bottom of a frying pan. Thus Sir Gilberts only campaign ended
somewhat ignominiously, but worse was to follow. Preston, near Lancaster was the center of the
Royalist cause. This was where Sir Gilbert Houghton and his family were staying.
In February 1642-3 the Manchester garrison led by Sir John Seaton and the force
commanded by Col. Shuttleworth attacked. After two hours of hard fighting the
defense collapsed. Following the capture of Preston an
expeditionary force under the command of none other but Starkie was sent out to
take Hoghton Tower. The last act of Sir Gilbert in the Civil War
was at Chester in October 1643. He had been sent there to await the arrival of
the King's Irish army. With this force he was probably engaged, with Lord Byron,
in the surprise attack on Col. Ashton's. Of his other two sons involved in the
war, Gilbert was a Captain in a company of Col. Gerard's regiment and later
became the governor of Worcester and Henry was a Captain of Horse under Derby. Unfortunately Sir Gilbert does not appear to
have been on very good terms with Byron and after a quarrel he appears not to
have taken any further part. His unwillingness to continue the fight was
probably also compounded by the loss of his son, Roger, at Hessam Moor in 1643
as well as by the fact that his eldest son and heir, Richard, was fighting on
the side of Parliament. Sir Gilbert Hoghton died in 1647. The
Baronetcy was inherited by his son Sir Richard, who was unlike his father, a
Parliamentarian. In the late 1960's about twenty shoe boxes of
documents were deposited in the County Records from Downham Hall. In the boxes
were muster rolls, color details, regimental order books etc. making it possibly
the best recorded regiment. The documents were seen and then sent to London but
soon after were lost.
Houghton's Were:
Ancestral
home of the Hoghton family since William the Conqueror. See the magnificent
Banqueting Hall where the ‘Loin of Beef’ ‘Sirloin’ was knighted
by King James I in 1617, and where William Shakespeare started his working life.
The King’s Bedchamber, Audience Chamber, Ballroom and other staterooms used by
the King, the Duke of Buckingham and other nobles in his suite, still perfectly
preserved. Visit the Tudor Well House with its horse-drawn pump and oaken
windlass, the underground passages with The Lancashire Witches, dungeons, wine
cellar and the stone cells which housed malefactors and cattle thieves of bygone
days. King
James I Arriving in 1617
Ancestral
home of the de Hoghton family since the Norman conquest, Hoghton Tower, a
fortified hilltop Manor House is one of the most dramatic looking houses in the
North of England. The
present home was built
almost entirely in the Tudor Elizabethan period (1560-1565) and is reached by a
steep, straight avenue of over half a mile long. Built
in the 1720's by Britain's first Prime Minister, Sir Robert Walpole, Houghton
Hall is one of the grandest surviving Palladian houses in England. At Houghton,
Walpole created a magnificent showcase for the finest architects, craftsmen and
painters of an elegant age. The work of architects James Gibbs and Colen
Campbell was complemented by the superb interiors of William Kent and opulently
furnished to reflect Walpole's status. Now lovingly restored to its former
grandeur by the 7th Marquess of Cholmondeley, Houghton retains many of its
original furnishings, allowing visitors the opportunity to step back in time and
enjoy Houghton much as it may have been in Walpole's day.
The
unique Cholmondeley Soldier Museum features over 20,000 model soldiers and is
one of the most important in the world. It is an interesting and diverse
collection with spectacular Napoleonic battle scenes commissioned by the late
6th Marques, and a selection of individual models, ranging from large china
figures to tiny lead replicas. Houghton is set in over 250 acres (142 ha) of fine parkland, home to over 1,000 head of white fallow deer. Visitors are able to wander at leisure through the rolling parkland to the church and stable black. The original walled garden has been recreated to feature an area devoted to fruit and vegetables, a herbaceous border and a formal rose-garden with over 150 varieties. Location: HOUGHTON TOWER is now available on an exclusive basis for corporate business entertaining and meetings.
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