Loftin
Page LINKS
Leonard
Loftin/
Laughton
Early
Origins
Lofthouse
Village
ENGLAND
Lofoten
ISLANDS
Lofthus
NORWAY
The
MS
Lofoten
Lieftingh
HOLLAND
________
LOFTIN
GENEALOGY
LINE
The
LOFTIN
Family
Tree
Philip
Daniel
Loftin
(1978 - 20??)
Curtis
Dean
Loftin
(1953 - 20??)
Sam
William
Loftin
(1918 - 1979)
Alonzo
Lester
Loftin
(1876 - 1937)
William Alexander
Loftin
(1851 - 1939)
James
Franklin
Loftin
(1827 - 1864)
Thomas
Loftin
(1798 - 185?)
James
Loftin
(1768 - 1836)
John
Loftin
(1740 - 1793)
Cornelius
Loftin III
(1714 - 1785)
Cornelius
Loftin II
(1675 - 1735)
Cornelius
Loftin I
(1648 - 1735)
Leonard
"Laughton"
Loftin
(1610 - 1678)
__________
LINKS
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CIVIL
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The
"ROYAL"
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Slaveryy
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TO
FIND 'EM
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________
FAMILY
NAMES
LOFTIN:
Beatty
Corzine
Cranford
Fisher
Givens
Harwell
Kaiser
Lanier
Lomax
McCorkle
Rudisill
Sherrill
Upright
Washington
Work
SETZER:
Aderholdt
Barringer
Bovey
Bushart
Deal
Heavner
Herman
Ikert
Miller
Motz
Rankin
Witherspoon
GOBLE:
Babst/Bobst
Douglas
Faber
Fink
Fulbright
Hefner
Meinhert
Miller
Muller
Pabst/Bobst
Robinson
JOHNSON:
Corzine
Fink
Hamilton
Kaiser
Leslie
Lewis
Moore
Sherrill
Upright
Wilkinson
"Name Origins"
Leonard Loftin/Laughton (1610/16) is the earliest Loftin mentioned in the colonial history of America. It is recorded in the Virginia Magazine of History and Biography, Volume 5, page 343, that Leonard Laughton sailed from Kent, England on 12 Jul 1636 aboard the ship "West" along with six other whites and two negroes as an indentured servant to work a plantation located on the Charles River in Henrico County, Virginia, owned by Mrs. Elizabeth Parker/Packer. Leonard is also mentioned in a book entitled Early Virginia Immigrants 1623 - 1666, on page 199, by George Cabell Greer. Greer also mentions a "Robert" Loftin (presumably Leonard's brother), whose passage to Virginia in 1637 was arranged by William Wilkinson, New Norfolk, Virginia.
Information about Leonard's life before he came to America has yet to be uncovered. Where was he from originally? Who were his parents? How was his name originally spelled? All of these and many more questions will hopefully eventually be revealed.
(Below) Henrico County, Virginia, where Leonard lived
There is a generally accepted belief among those who have studied the Loftin lineage that the family is of English origin. The name probably came from the Old Norse words "lopt" (elevation, loft) and "tun" (an enclosure). In Old English, "tun" came to mean “a farmstead, an estate or village” and was often modified to "ton" as a suffix on many place names. Thus, the meaning would be that of “a farm on an elevation.
The earliest records show the family living in Normandy and Flanders, France. The family emigrated to France possibly during the Viking invasion of the 9th century. The family emigrated from France possibly before the Norman Conquest in 1066 A.D.
The family name Loftin later emerged as a notable English family name in the county of Yorkshire where they were recorded as a family of great antiquity seated with manor and estates in that shire. One of the oldest Yorkshire families, this family is said to have been seated in the village of Lofthouse. Robert Lofthus was Lord of the manor and lands in 1273, and the senior branch established themselves at Swineshead in Yorkshire in the same year.
The family also branched into Kent, Hampshire and Dorset. Leonard Loftin (Laughton) "the Immigrant" sailed from Kent to America in 1636.
Some members of the family apparently left England for Holland during a period of persecution, marrying into Dutch blood while in the Netherlands. Later a branch of the family returned to England in the 1500s. This branch of the family spelled the name Loftingh. After becoming thoroughly anglicized, the family dropped the "gh" and the American ancestor eventually spelled his name Loftin.
Due to the lax spelling rules during that period, the name had numerous spellings. The most prominent variations of the name are Loftin, Lofting, Loftings, Loftingh, Lofton, Loftus, Laughton, Loftaine, Loffting, Loften, Lofan, Loflin, Loftes, Loftice, Lofeshouse, Lofthouse, Lofthus, Loftus and Loftis.
During the 16th and 17th centuries, England was ravaged by religious conflict. Many families were freely “encouraged” to migrate to Ireland or to the American “colonies.” Some were rewarded with grants of lands while others were banished. Some chose to be "indentured" as a means of earning passage.
The Loftin name may have been anglicized from the Irish names of MacLoughlin, MacLoclamn or O’Loughlin. In the 10th century the O’Loughlins were the most powerful family in the northwestern part of the county on the shores of the Atlantic and Galway Bay. Before the 13th century, they were the most powerful family in Ulster. They were seated in Inishowen where the name is still common.
The history of the family in England and Holland reveal a people independent by nature. The family produced farmers, merchants, clergymen, manufacturers and inventors in England while those in Holland were basically tradesmen, tailors and fisherman
It is a common believe that the name Loftin comes from Lofthouse, a Yorkshire surname. There is a Lofthouse Village that is located three miles north of Wakefield in ENGLAND. Lofthouse is clearly of Viking origin. Is is possible that Leonard Loftin's family lived in the area of these rolling hills of England?
Nidderdale is one of the Yorkshire Dales in North Yorkshire, England. It was designated an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty in 1994. Settlements in the dale include Lofthouse, Pateley Bridge, Bewerley, Ramsgill, and Middlesmoor.
View From Lofthouse Over Middlesmoor And Lofthouse Village
The Lofoten Islands seems to be where our name came from originally.
The Lofoten Islands are a chain of islands in the county of Nordland in northern Norway.
The literal translation of Lofoten in English is "careen" - as the Vikings would take their boats to the Lofoten Islands and beach them at high tide to scrape barnacles. The Viking in charge of the "careen" was “The Lofoten” or “The Careener”. The name made its way to France and England and was Anglicized into Loftin and the other variations.
Though lying within the Arctic Circle, the island chain experiences one of the world's largest elevated temperature anomalies relative to its high latitude.
A common pain scheme prevails in the villages of Lofoten.
Lofoten is well known for its exceptional natural beauty within Norway and has 24 hours of daylight in the summer. Winter temperatures in there are very mild considering their location north of the Arctic Circle.
(Below) Lofoten Cathedral
Vågar was the first town formed in northern Norway. It existed in the early Viking Age, maybe earlier, and was located on the southern coast on eastern Lofoten, near today's village Kabelvåg in the Vågan municipality. The islands have for more than 1,000 years been the center of great cod fisheries, especially in winter, when the cod migrates south from the Barents Sea and gathers in Lofoten to spawn.
Lofoten was originally the name of the island of Vestvågøy only. It later became the name of the entire chain of islands. Another name one might come across, is "Lofotveggen" - or the Lofoten wall.
Mountain climbing and cycling are popular sports in the area. “The Lofoten Insomnia Cycling Race” takes place every year around midsummer, in the midnight sun.
The Lofoten Islands are served by three small airports. The European Road E10 connects the larger islands of Lofoten with bridges and undersea tunnels.
Winter comes to the Lofoten Islands
A Nordlands boat similar to the one that the Vikings would have sailed
Another landmark that exists in southern Norway is the town of Lofthus near the Hardanger Fjord which is one of the country’s most scenic sites.
By looking at the map on the left, you can see Norway's physical location in relation to Germany, France and Britain. It would have been simple to the "Viking" Loftins to make their way to France or England. Both maps show Hardanger, Bergen and voss. The map on the right shows you where Lofthus is located in relation to the other cities.
Waterfalls and glaciers in Lofthus (Hardangerfjord, Norway) beside one of Europe's largest mountain plateaus.
The town of Lofthus and the Eidjorden. The majority of the massifs between the lakes of the fjords, are national parks, accessible to the hikers, and fitted with equipment and refuges.
Hotel Ullensvang is situated in the peaceful village of Lofthus in the heart of Norway's unparalleled Fjord District. The area, called Hardanger has inspired Norwegian authors, painters and composers through the years. The fjord and the green luxuriant hills stretching up towards the Folgefonna Glacier has for more than a century been a tempting destination for travelers from all over the world.
Lofthus, Ullensvang is the largest fruit garden in Norway, with its 450.000 fruit trees. (Apple Orchards below)
Lofthus as seen from Hest
Homes in Lofthus, Norway
There is even a ship with the Lofoten name. The MS Lofoten is a luxury ship, the second oldest in the fleet, protected by the Chief Inspector of Inspectorate of Ancient Monuments and Buildings in Norway.
There was even an earlier steam ship called the Lofoten. It was built in 1932 and was in service from 1932 to 1964.
This is the Lieftingh armorial . The "Deift V. S." on the image refers to a town in Holland - presumably from where the Lieftingh's originated. SOURCES:
The Loftin Chronicles, by Don Loftin, Waco, Texas, 16 Jun 1982
The Lofoten Islands
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LofotenOrigin of the Loftis Lineage, by Jimmie R. Loftin
http://www.ajlambert.com/loftis/loft_lin.pdf#search='norway%20loftin'If you have additional photos or information about the Loftin family, please contact me.
