My father’s mother’s maiden name was Horton. Her family immigrated from England and settled in Virginia in the mid-1600s. The name is common in English history, and several places are named Horton in England. The name Horton derives from Old English hour ‘dirt’ and tΕ«n ‘settlement, farm, estate,’ presumably meaning ‘farm on muddy soil.’
Notes on this research
Within the past couple of years, a link was established on Ancestry.com to the historical data originally researched by Dad. It added the individuals listed below as ancestors and the immigration to America. I did a bit of research and questioned its validity entirely.
Medevil England – De Horton
In Middle English, the prefix ‘de’ can represent where someone is from. The name ‘De Horton’ is seen in many of the names from the first Horton in 1190. His name was Rodger. This name became quite popular after the Norman Conquest of 1066. He was shown to be from Horton in Northamptonshire, England.
Horton is 8 miles southwest of Northampton. It is primarily known as the location of the now-demolished Horton House. This was the manor of the first governor of the Bank of England, among others.
Human settlement in Northampton dates back to 3500 BC. Roman settlements from the Roman Period (41-450 BC) have been found nearby. During the Anglo-Saxon period, it was subject to occupation by the Danes. After the Norman Conquest in 1068, the town rose to national significance. Early meetings of the government (Parliament) took place there, and several Kings had residences there.
Around the time that Rodger de Horton was born, Richard I granted the city a charter in return for money to support the Crusades.
Immigration to America
William Kimble Horton (1626-1702) was born in Stauton, Gloucestershire County, west of London, near the Welsh border.
Staunton is a village near the larger town of Gloucester. During this period, England was rife with many wars, collectively called the English Civil War. In 1642, the Seige of Gloucester was part of a Royalist campaign byΒ King Charles IΒ to take control of the Severn Valley from theΒ Parliamentarians. Gloucester was a port town, and it is likely he immigrated with his wife from here.
His first daughter, Virginia, was born in 1652 in Westmoreland, Virginia.
Eastern Virginia
The Hortons resided in the Richmond, VA vicinity for the subsequent four generations.
Hugh Horton 1661 – 1724
Henrico County, VA (Richmond), Westmoreland County, VA. Married once with 3 children.
Hugh Danbury Horton 1687 – 1766
Henrico County, VA (Richmond), Mecklenburg County, VA. Married once, four children.
John Horton 1718 – 1792
Hanover County, VA (Richmond). Married once, ten children. Married once, nine children.
John Horton Jr. 1749- 1817
Henrico County, VA (Richmond). Married once, ten children. Married once, nine children.
Western Virginia
John M Horton III 1777 – 1860
After the American Revolution, John M. Horton III relocated from Stafford County all the way west to Scott County. He was one of ten children. The rest of the Horton ancestors lived in this county or nearby Big Stone Gap.
Thomas Horton 1801 – 1884
He appears in records from Scott County, Lee County, Virginia, and Hancock County, Tennessee, to the south. These records indicate that he was a farmer and a pastor at an Episcopal church, later transitioning to a Baptist church. He was married twice and had fifteen children.
William Patton Horton 1831 – 1910
He served as a first lieutenant in the 22nd Virginia Cavalry during the Civil War. Additionally, records indicate that he was a farmer and later a merchant.
Lucien Beauregard Horton 1861 – 1913
Born in Scott, Virginia, and passing away in Gate City, Virginia, where he was laid to rest, he was a medical doctor who also held the title of attorney. He was married once and had ten children. My grandmother, Sarah, was the fourth child, born in 1900. Tragically, she was in her early teens when both her parents passed away at relatively young ages. She was raised by one of her fatherβs uncles, Nelson Horton, and his wife.
To be continued after we visit Western Virginia in Spring 2025