Map of England showing where the Hoghton arms are recorded
The Hoghton arms were recorded in Lancaster, c. 1613.
Lancashire was divided among a great many small landed families, more than most northern counties. Estates were passed down whole rather than split up, so the same names hold the same ground for centuries in the records.
This is where the arms were entered in the register. Families often moved to other parts of the country, so the same name can turn up in more than one region.
The body that granted and recorded arms in England in this period.
James VI and I
Sovereign of the period
James VI and I
1603–1625
Reigning in England when the Hoghton arms are first recorded.
How Arms Worked in England
English heraldry allowed arms to be shared by all legitimate descendants of the original owner. These symbols were treated as personal property that moved through the generations to all children. While the eldest son kept the original design, other family members could use the same shield without needing to change it or register their own unique versions.
Granting authority
The College of Arms in London has regulated the use of coats of arms throughout England and Wales since 1484.
How they got arms
Families typically obtained their coats of arms through a formal grant from the Crown or by proving their ancient right to them.
Where arms were recorded
All official coats of arms are recorded in the registers kept at the College of Arms, which date back to the fifteenth century.
The family's standing
Recorded among the armigerous families of Lancaster.
Origin & History of the Hoghton Family in England
The family name Hoghton finds its roots in the historic county of Lancashire, where the family established a prominent presence by the early seventeenth century. The name itself is locational, derived from the Old English words for a high ridge or a hill, which suggests that the earliest ancestors likely settled on elevated land within the region. By 1613, the family was well-entrenched in the local social structure, holding significant influence over the surrounding rural landscapes. Their history is closely tied to the development of the Lancashire countryside, as they managed large estates and participated in the regional governance of the era. Through their long-standing tenure in the area, the family became a fixture of local life, reflecting the broader patterns of land ownership and social hierarchy that defined northern England during the early modern period.
Related Branches & Arms
Root word
Hoh
Old English term for a heel, spur of land, or ridge.
This name
HoghtonRefers to a settlement or farmstead located on a prominent ridge or spur of land.
also spelled
Houghton
Houghtone
Related arms
Houghtonvariant spelling
Barneyrecorded with Hoghton, same area
Berneyrecorded with Hoghton, same area
Parkerrecorded with Hoghton, same area
Documented Sources
Sir Bernard Burke, The General Armory of England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales, London: Harrison & Sons, 1884
Farrer, William and Brownbill, John, The Victoria History of the County of Lancaster, 1911
Lancashire Archives, The Hoghton of Hoghton Tower Collection, DDBH
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bordureA difference between branches of one family
bordureA difference between branches of one family
