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Hello Altham relatives, I looked into the history and meaning of the Altham place name and family name. I am excited about what I found out, and I want to share it. I hope you find the info as interesting as I do. According to the reputable etymologist Dr. George Redmonds, Altham means: 'the home or village that is at the water meadow where the swans live'. There is only one place in the world called Altham, and there is only one single Altham family. The place name and family name belong to each other, but it is likely Altham as a place came first, and then it began to be used a family name. Although there are many branches of the Altham wider famliy, all of the Althams share a common ancestry. Our common ancestor came from Altham in Lancashire, England. The Altham family has in the main always lived within a few miles of the town of Altham. Because of that there was less chance of spelling errors and name variants creeping into the Altham surname over time. An Altham person may not have known how to spell his or her name, but the person writing down the name on their behalf had the established place of Altham as a point of reference for the spelling. The same applies to the name's pronunciation. There were, however, a few changes in the spelling and pronunciation of Altham way back in its early days. The place called Altham is not recorded in the Domesday Book which was compiled 1086 A.D., and so it was probably not recognised as a place back then. Altham's first appearance in the historical books was about 1150. Back then it was 'Elvetham'. The family deeds of a Yorkshire family surnamed Pudsley have a reference to a Thomas of Elvetham. Thomas lived about 1190, and a Richard of Elvetham was recorded not many years afterwards at Sawley Priory. The name changed to 'Alvetham', or 'Aluetham' and someone of that name was recorded at Whalley Abby in 1304. Fifty years later our 'Altham' family name was what it still is today. In 1379 Nicholas of Altham was known in Grindleton near Clitheroe, only a few miles away from Altham. Also in 1379 a poll tax record names John of Altham in Gisburn, Bowland. The Clitheroe Court Rolls of 1511 name Christopher Altham. Thirty years later those same Clitheroe Court Rolls name a James Altham from Pendleton. In 1618 Thomas Altham was recorded at Mitton which is near Clitheroe. Richard Altham is named in a will in 1687. Just to finish I will write some information I found out about the town of Altham. A church in Altham, called St. James, dates from the 12th. Century. It 1859 it was restored and additions were made to it. There are some memorial tablets of various local families in the church, but I do not know if our Altham family is on any of them. In 1851 the population of Altham was 320 . In 1861 it was 410, in 1871 there were 481 people. The figure for 1881 is 395, in 1891 it was 427, and in 1901 the population numbered 785. I do try to be accurate but, like anyone can, I may have errors in all this information. I trust that you, the one reading this, will keep that in mind. Cheerio, Christine.

hi Christine I am an Altham (now married) born in Lancaster 1955 MY dad Kenneth 1929 born Lancaster Grandad Frederick 1906 Accrington GT grandad Moses 1871 born Morecambe Gt GT Grandad Christopher 1832 born Mewith Gt GT GT GrandadThomas 1791 born Mewith. Thats as far back as i have got . Nobody seems to have moved too far. its mainly Lancaster Morecambe Preston Clitheroe. I know its not important but i thought it was interesting because my brother sisters and the Altham cousins still all live in Lancaster. thankyou veronica roberts nee altham.