Origins Available: English, German
Anglo-Saxon name. The name was originally given to a person who covered roofs with slate. Sliter is an occupational surname, which belongs to the category of hereditary surnames. Occupational surnames were derived from the primary activity of the bearer. In the Middle Ages, people did not generally live off of the fruits of their labor in a particular job. Rather, they performed a specialized task, as well as farming, for subsistence. Other occupational names were derived from an object associated with a particular activity. This type of surname is called a metonymic surname. This surname comes from the Old English word esclate, which means splinter or slat.
Early Origins of the Sliter family
Derbyshire where the earliest records of the family were found at Barlborough near Chesterfield in Derbyshire.
As an occupational name, the family name was a trade name of a roofer and was originally spelled Sclater. This spelling is still used as far north as the Shetlands and the Orkney Islands, where their territories were in Burnes.
Early census records in Britain revealed Thomas le Sclatatere in Worcestershire in 1255 and Saundr le Sclattur in 1278 in Oxfordshire. CITATION[CLOSE]
"The living [of Tetsworth, Oxfordshire] is a vicarage, in the gift of the Slater family: the great tithes have been commuted for £210, and the small tithes for £115." CITATION[CLOSE]
Early History of the Sliter family
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Sliter research.
Another 144 words (10 lines of text) covering the years 1550, 1615, 1684, 1659, 1683, 1684, 1634, 1699, 1679, 1685, 1690, 1699, 1676 and 1667 are included under the topic Early Sliter History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Sliter Spelling Variations
One relatively recent invention that did much to standardize English spelling was the printing press. However, before its invention even the most literate people recorded their names according to sound rather than spelling. The spelling variations under which the name Sliter has appeared include Sclater, Slater, Slatter, Sklater and others.
Early Notables of the Sliter family (pre 1700)
Another 48 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Sliter Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Migration of the Sliter family to Ireland
Some of the Sliter family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 101 words (7 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Migration of the Sliter family to the New World and Oceana
At this time, the shores of the New World beckoned many English families that felt that the social climate in England was oppressive and lacked opportunity for change. Thousands left England at great expense in ships that were overcrowded and full of disease. A great portion of these settlers never survived the journey and even a greater number arrived sick, starving, and without a penny. The survivors, however, were often greeted with greater opportunity than they could have experienced back home. These English settlers made significant contributions to those colonies that would eventually become the United States and Canada. An examination of early immigration records and passenger ship lists revealed that people bearing the name Sliter arrived in North America very early: John and Anne Slater who settled in Virginia in 1622; John Slater settled in Virginia in 1617, three years before the "Mayflower"; Joshua Slater settled in Barbados in 1675.
The Sliter Motto
The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.
Motto: Crescit sub pondere virtus
Motto Translation: Virtue thrives under oppression.
Sliter Family Crest Products