Family Ties
The Farrington Family
The Farrington family is an ancient and well-documented English surname dating back nearly 1000 years. Due to the extensive number of the descendants traced to our family from the first Farrington's it will take some time to add this family line to this website. It has been established that the immigrant Farrington, Edward Farrington, was a direct descendant of the Farrington's of Worden Park and Shaw Hall. This is the line that is traced back to William the Conqueror's time and the Domesday book.
The Name - Farrington [Farrington, de Farynton, Farygnton, Farington, Farrington].
The Farrington name has seen several spellings through the centuries. Early spellings in the 12th century indicate the Celtic influence of the period. Early documents of the 12th century use Farynton or de Farynton. In about the 16th century the spelling seems to change to Faryngton. By about the 17th century the spelling Farington and Farrington are used.
When the Farrington family first migrates to the American colonies, several of the records use the spelling Farrington. It is recorded in at least one 18th century English Farrington family tree that the family always used the “black letter F – which in old English script was F. It has the appearance of a double-f or ff, and so some references use the ffarynton or ffaryngton spelling.
The Farrington family line can be trace through many existing historical and genealogical resources because it is a very old and researched English surname name. It has been traced to the eleventh century to about the time of the Norman Conquest in 1066. To understand the origins of the Farrington line, however, it is important to know the history of the time and the place.
The Origin of the De FARYNTON, FARYNTON, FARRINGTON, FARINGTON Name
The Farrington's notably lived in and were recognized as being from the area of FARINGTON. [Note: the village of Farington, Lancashire, England is spelled with only one ‘R’ even today]. The use of 'de' (meaning 'of') is also commonly seen in very early English surnames and is an influence from the French, - so, Richard De Farynton was ‘Richard of Farington’. The name de Farynton dates back to the days of Anglo-Saxon tribes of Britain.
The history of the Place – Lancashire County, England
The de Farynton name is first found in Lancashire County, England, denoting the area where the family originated. Lancashire County encompasses several small villages rich with Farrington family history, including the villages of Farington, Howith, Hutton Grange, Leyland and several others. All of these communities lie near the river Ribble.
It is likely that the area south of the Ribble has been inhabited since the Iron Age. Bronze axe head finds suggest an important site in the locality at that time. Roman occupation of the area is well documented. Excavations at sites in the area revealed what appeared to be an early military supply base and industrial center used by the Romans right up to the construction of Hadrian’s Wall, which probably began around 122 AD.
The following old English map of the area south of the River Ribble gives an indication of the proximity of many of the birthplaces of the historical Farrington’s.
Farringtons in America
One of the earliest Farringtons to come to this country was Edmund, who emigrated from Southampton, England, and settled first at Lynn, Massachusetts. In May, 1640, he with some others embarked at Lynn in a vessel commanded by Captain Howe, and arrived at Cow Bay, Long Island, where they purchased from the Indians a tract of land extending from the eastern part of Oyster Bay to Cow Bay. They were afterwards dispossessed by the Dutch Governor Kieft, and Farrington returned to Lynn ; but two of his sons, Thomas and Edmund, subsequently settled at Flushing. Long Island, and from them the New York Farringtons are descended.
The Farrington Descendant Line