Preston Coat of Arms, Family Crest and Preston Family History

Preston Family History

The family history of the ancient name Preston was found in the irishsurnames.com archives. The name Preston is a locational name, taken from placenames in Lancashire and the Barony of Preston, afterwards known as Gourtoun and now Craigmillar in Midlothian. This name is of Anglo-Celtic origin and is found throughout England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales. It is found in many mediaeval manuscripts in these countries islands. Examples of such are a Laurence de Preston, County Salop, who was recorded in the 'Hundred Rolls', England, in the year 1273 and a Johannes de Pryston, of Yorkshire, who was recorded in the 'Poll Tax', of the West Riding of Yorkshire in the year 1379. In Scotland an Alured de Preston is recorded as a charter witness in the year 1222. A Lyulph de Preston had a charter from a John Albus of a piece of land in Linlithgow in the year 1240. In Ireland the name is found in small numbers in Ulster having been introduced there from Scotland and England during the seventeenth century. although there are some references to the name found in Leinster as early as the thirteenth century.The Preston family crest (or coat of arms) came into existence many centuries ago. The process of creating these coats of arms began as early as the eleventh century although a form of Proto-Heraldry may have existed in some countries prior to this, including Ireland. The new more formalized art of Heraldry made it possible for families and even individual family members to have their very own family crest, coat of arms, including Preston descendants.