The Ancient History of the Distinquished Surname 'Spittle

The northern border of England, interfacing with lowland Scotland, produced a thirty mile wide corridor from Carlisle to Berwick upon tweed from which many of the prominent names of the world emerged. Amongst these distingquished surnames was Spittle.
Research of ancient documents including the Inquisitio, the Exchequer Rolls of Scotland, the Ragman Rolls, The Hearth Rolls, the Domesday Book, parish cartularies, baptismals, and tax rolls revealed that the first record of the name Spittle was found in Dumbartonshire where they were seated from very ancient times, at Spittal in the parish of Kilmoran.
Although our name, Spittle, occurred in many references, from time to time the surname was spelt Spittal, Spittel, Spittle, and these changes in spelling frequently occurred, even between father and son. Sometimes a different spelling on each occasion through a lifetime at the same person's birth, death or marriage.
The family name Spittle is believed to be descended originally from the Strathclyde Britons. This ancient, founding race of the north were a mixture of Gaelic/Celts whose original territories ranged from Lancashire in the south, northward to the south bank of the Clyde in Scotland. they were divided into three sub-kingdoms, the Selgovians south of the Clyde, the Novantii in Galloway in the south west Scotland, and the Rhiged to the south in Cumberland, Westmorland, and Lancashire.
From 400 A. D. to 900 A. D. their territory was overrun firstly by the Irish Gaels, then the Angles from the east, and, finally the Picts and Dalriadans from the north. However, their basic culture remained relatively undisturbed. By 1000 A. D., however, the race had formed into discernible Clans and families, perhaps some of the first evidence of the family structure in Britain.
By the 16th and 17th centuries many of our modern family names descended directly from this ancient race, including Spittle. Many of these families were later found scattered, not only throughout England, Scotland and Ireland, but all over the world, surnames which can be now traced back to this locality and time period. Tracing its ancient development, the name Spittle was found in Dumbarton. In 1394 Adam Spittle was forced to resign the lands of Ladlewn. Nominally the Spittals are Sept of the Buchanan, but there does not appear to be a direct relationship. Walter Spittal was granted lands by King David II in Kynynmunthe in 1365. He was succeeded by John Spittal in 1395, and a successor John Spittal was merchant in Edinburgh in 1423. Alexander Spittal represented Inverkeithing in 1689 in Scottish Parliament. Notable amongst the family at this time was James Spittal of Lewquhat.
The natural division of Scotland and England, an arbitrary line from Carlisle to Berwick upon tweed, posed an artificial division to the unity of the ancient Strathclyde Britons and their family groupings. to the north they became Scottish, to the south English. however many of the family structures would continue to be unified clans, powers unto themselves, owing little allegiance to either Scotland or England, having territories and political interest on both sides of the border.
Soon after the Norman Conquest border life was in turmoil. In 1246, 6 Chiefs from the Scottish side and 6 from the English side met at Carlisle and produced a set of laws governing all the Border Clans. These were unlike any laws prevailing in England or Scotland or, for that matter, anywhere else in the world. For example, it was a far greater offence to refuse to help a neighbour recover his property, wife, sheep, cattle or horses than it was to steal them in the first place. Hence the expression 'Hot Trod', or, a hot pursuit, from which we get the modern 'Hot to Trot'. For refusal of assistance during a 'Hot Trod', a person could be hanged on the instant, without trial. Frequently, the descendants of these clans or families apologetically refer to themselves as being descended from 'Cattle or horse thieves' when, in fact, it was an accepted code of life on the border.
In 1603, the Union of Scotland and English crowns became reality under King James VI of Scotland, who was also crowned King James 1st of England. The Crown dispersed these 'unruly border Clans'. In 1587, an Act of Scottish Parliament had condemned certain border families for their lawlessness. Scotland was moving toward breaking up the old 'border code'. Hence, the Border Clans were banished to England, northern Scotland and to Ireland. Some were outlawed directly to Ireland, the Colonies and the New World.
Many of the Border Clans settled in Northern Ireland, transferred between 1650 and 1700 with grants of land provided they 'undertook' to remain protestant. Hence they became known as the 'Undertakers'. Many became proudly Irish. There is no evidence that the family name migrated to Ireland, but this does not preclude the possibility of their scattered migration to that country.
But there were many who were dissatisfied with life in Ireland, and sought a more rewarding life. They looked to the New World and sailed aboard the ' White Sails ' an armada of sailing ships such as the Hector, the Rambler, and the Dove which struggled across the stormy Atlantic. Some ships lost 30 to 40% of their passengers list, migrants who died of disease and the elements.
In North America, some of the first migrants which could be considered kinsman of the family name Spittle and their spelling variants were John Spittall arrived in Pennsylvania in 1852; John Spittle arrived in New England in 1679; Roger Spittle settled in the Barbados in 1654.
From the port of arrival many joined the wagon trains westward, moving to the prairies or the west coast. During the American War of Independence those that remained loyal to the Crown moved north into Canada and became known as the United Empire Loyalists.
There were many prominent notable contemporaries of this name Spittle, the family continued to make important cultural and social contributions on both sides of the Atlantic.

The most ancient grant of a coat of Arms found was;
Black with a gold horizontal stripe between two golden coins.

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