The Anglo Saxon Chronicle related the ancient deeds and exploits of this founding race. It is an ancient manuscript
written about 980 by monks describing the Saxon presence in Britain from about the year 380 to the late 10th century.
Research analysts have carefully reviewed ancient manuscripts, such as the Domesday Book, the Ragman Rolls, the
Curia Regis Rolls, The Pipe Rolls, the Hearth Rolls, parish registers, baptismals, tax records and other ancient documents
and found the first record of the name Tarrant, in Cheshire where the founder of the family was Peter Thornton,
Secretary to the Blundells.
Your name, Tarrant, occurred in many manuscripts, but from time to time the surname included the spellings of
Thornton , Thornten, and these spelling versions frequently occurred, even between father and son. For example , it
was quite common for a person to be born with one spelling, married with another and for yet another to appear on his
or her gravestone. Church officials or scriveners spelt the name as it was told to them phonetically.
Available records indicate indicate that this distinguished family name Tarrant is descended originally from this
Anglo/Saxon stock. The Saxon's were a fair skinned people led by General/Commanders Hengist and Horsa, and settled
in England from the Rhine Valley about the year 400 A.D. They settled firstly on the south east coast but by the 5th
century they had already begun probing north and westward, slowly advancing to the Welsh border, and during the
next four hundred years forced the Ancient Britons back into Wales and Cornwall to the west, and as far north as
Cumbria and Southern Scotland. The Angles, on the other hand, occupied the eastern coast, the south fold in Suffolk,
the north folk in Norfolk. On the east coast the Angles frequently ravaged as far north as Northumbria and the Scottish
border. Anglo/Saxon rule prevailed for five centuries and the nation divided into five separate kingdoms, a high king
being elected as supreme ruler. Alfred the Great emerged in the 9th century as the Saxon leader to dispel the Danish
invasion. This Viking intrusion, firstly successful, did more to unite England than any other factor. Finally, in 1016, the
Danes were massacred and there are a few remaining families of this extraction.
England, in 1066, under Harold, was enjoying reasonable stability. However, the Norman invasion from France and
their victory at the Battle of Hastings, found many of the vanquished Saxon land owners to be forfeited their land by
Duke William and his invading noble. In 1070 Duke William devastated the north with an army of 40,000 men. Many
Saxons and rebellious Norman landowners fled north over the border into Scotland.
As relative peace was restored to the land the family name Tarrant emerged as a notable English family name in the
county of Cheshire where they had been seated in Thornton from early times. Peter Thornton was Secretary to the
Blundells, Lords of Ince, at Blundell Sands in Lancashire in Chester, in 1066. The Thorntons branched north to
Whitton Castle in Northumberland and into Yorkshire at Birkin, and in Scarborough. They also held Kirkland Hall in
Lancashire. The Thorntons moved north to Scotland and acquired lands n the Mearns in 1204, and by 1425, John of
Thornton was a distinguished Scottish family. By 1469, John Thornton acquired Block Hall and the Lordship of
Newnham by marriage with the Newnhams. His descendant was High Sheriff of Northhampton. They became a strong
Yorkshire family with many branches by the 17th century. Notable amongst the family at this time was Peter Thornton
of Chester, scion of the family.
Surviving the elements, the plagues and famines for the next two or three centuries the surname Tarrant flourished and
helped shape the culture of the nation. Later, during the 16th, 17th and 18th centuries, all Britain was ravaged by
internal religious conflict. First Protestantism, then the newly found political fervour of Cromwellianism, and the
remnants of the Roman Church rejected all but their adherents, each doctrine fighting for supremacy. These were
turbulent times. The conflicts between church sects, the Crown and political groups all claimed their allegiances and
imposed their influence on the population. Clans and families were deliberately broken and disbanded by reigning
monarches to reduce their political influence. Many were banished to the north, to Scotland, Ireland or to the Colonies.
In particular, many families were freely 'encouraged' to migrate to Ireland. Some were rewarded with grants of lands at
prices no one could refuse.
In Ireland they became known as the 'Adventurers for land in Ireland'. Essentially, government sponsored PRotestant
settlers 'undertook' to keep their faith, being granted lands previously owned by the Catholic Irish for only nominal
payment. In Ireland, Sir George Thornton settled at Kilmallock in county Limerick, and also held branches in Cavan
and Donegal.
In the midst of this turmoil the New World beckoned the adventurous. They migrated, some voluntarily from Ireland,
but mostly directly from England, their home territories. Some also moved to the European continent. Members of the
family Tarrant sailed about the armada of small sailing ships known as the 'White Sails' which plied the stormy Atlantic.
They were overcrowded ships, pestilence ridden, sometimes 30% to 40% of the passenger list never reaching their
destination dying from illness and the elements, many being buried at sea.
Amongst the pioneer settlers in North America which could be considered a kinsman of the surname Tarrant, or a
variable spelling of that family name was James Thornton who settled in Maryland in 1633; Joanna Thornton settled in
New England with her husband Walter and Robert her son in 1635; Mary Thornton settled in New York in 1705.
From the overcrowded settlements of the east coast ports many settlers looked westward, and joined the wagon trains to
the prairies or to the west coast. During the American War of Independence, many crown loyalists made their way north
to Canada, becoming known as the United Empire Loyalists. They were granted land equivalent lands along the banks
of the St. Lawrence River and in the Niagara Peninsula. Contemporaries of the surname, Tarrant , include many
distinguished contributors, Sir Ronald Thornton, Director, Bank of England; Sir Henry Thornton, Microbiologist;
General Sir Leonard Thornton.
During the course of our research we also determined the many Coat of Arms granted to different branches of the family
name.
The most ancient grant of a Coat of Arms found was;
Silver with a black chevron between three hawthorn trees.
The crest is;
Emerging from a crown a lion's head.
The ancient family motto for this distinguished name is;
"Fideli Tuta Merces"