Strickland (surname)

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The surname Strickland is usually thought of as being English in origin but its true origins are in Normandy, the original spelling of the name was de Stirkeland. The name can be traced back to the Westmorland region of England.

The family coat of arms is a black shield with three escalopes (sea shells)

[edit] History

A settlement first appeared on the west side of present day Kendal not long after the 1066 Norman Invasion when a Motte and Bailey fortification was built, this was called Kirkbie Strickland (Kirkbie meaning church).

The family name of Strickland first came to notice at the Battle of Agincourt (25 October 1415) when Thomas Strickland Esquire carried the Flag of St. George, dismounted as he was a knight in training. He had brought with him men-at-arms from his estate at Great Strickland in Westmorland and other troops from Kendal (The Kendal Bowman).

Thomas Strickland with the banner of St George
Thomas Strickland with the banner of St George

Sir Walter Strickland fought against the Scots during their incursions into the English Marches and also fought for the House of Lancaster during the War of the Roses. The family was a major landowner in Westmorland and Lancashire, and the name appears linked to local land marks (Strickland Wood, Warton near Carnforth.

The family at Sizergh remained Catholic during the reformation. As the family grew various branches appeared, one of which married into the Constable family of Yorkshire, another branch settled early on in Hertfordshire. With immigration to the colonies and the growth of the British Empire, the name of Strickland has spread world wide.

The Kendal Parish Church (Holy Trinity) has a Strickland family chapel and both Kendal and Penrith have main roads called Stricklandgate (The reference to gate is old English which means road).

[edit] People named Strickland

[edit] See also