John Applegate of Norfolk

Evidence needed to support Thomas Applegate as his son.

THE APPLEGATE FAMILY.

It is an honor to have had a noble ancestry, but it is still better to be an honor to our ancestors. But regardless of ancestry, "A mon's a mon for a' that."

Before entering into the history of this immediate family, it is well to review several of the characters found in past generations, both in the old world and those who emigrated to our shores in the past centuries. Lowers' work, published in London in 1860, entitled "Patronymica Brittanica," states that Applegarth is derived from an enclosure for apples, or apple trees, an orchard, and that Applegath and Applegate are corruptions of Applegarth. Being an author noted for his research into the origin of names, he is accepted as authority. The ancient Saxons and Britons had great respect for trees and groves, in some cases amounting to reverence, and the owner of an apple orchard was looked upon as a fortunate man.

The Applegarths were a noted family of Hampshire, England. Further back Apeliard is found and is doubtless the most ancient form. This was applied to an ancient family in Nor- folkshire, England. The last syllable of the name Apeliard, pronounced "Yard," was rendered as Aplegarth and Aplewaithcgarth, meaning the same as yard. Nicholas de Apelyard and Robert del Apclgath were prominent men among the first of this origin.

In tracing back the noted family of Appleyard in Norfolk-shire, England, there is found a striking coincidence of family names with those of the first Applegates in New Jersey. In 1419 a branch of the Appleyard family, who adopted the orthography of Appleyard, came into possession of the manor of Dauton. Will Appleyard in 1481 bequeathed to his son Thomas and names his mother, Elizabeth, and brothers John and Bartholomew. This Bartholomew died in 1492, but their names, Bartholomew, Thomas and John, were handed down in the family and these were also the prominent given names of the original Applegates of this country. It was not uncommon in the past for names to undergo changes in orthography as they were handed down from one generation to another. Sometimes this was done for euphony, but was generally due to carelessness or ignorance of recording clerks. A number of changes have occurred since the first settlement of the family in America. In 1674 the name was written Applegadt, in the petition of Bartholomew and Thomas Applegadt for leave to purchase land of the Indians. Richard, the son of Thomas, in his will in 1732 gives his name as Aplegate. Some of the descendants of Bartholomew, who settled in Middlesex county, write their names today as Appleget.

Another theory of the origin of the name is that it is a combination of two Saxon words, "Apple," meaning fruit in general, and "Gate," meaning a street or way. For example, if a man lived on a street where fruit was sold, he would be called Applegate, or on a street fronting the south, Southgate, or on a street exposed to high wind, Windgate, or on a street exposed to the cold, Colgate. While this is a plausible theory, the name Applegate is not to be found in any genealogical or heraldic work over three centuries ago.

John and his wife had six children: Ann Applegate abt.1590 ,Clare Applegate abt. 1592, Ursula Applegate abt. 1594, Elizabeth Applegate abt. 1596, Nicolas Applegate abt. 1598 and Thomas Applegate 1604-1662( the immigrant to America).

Thomas Applegate who with his family left England in 1632, went to Holland for two years and then to America.Re: Reaney,P.H. 1961 A Dictionary of British Surnames Routledge & Kegan Paul, London. Savage, James 1860 Generalogacal Dictionary of New England. Litter.

quoting from Historical and Genealogical Miscellany by John F. Stillwell, 1914, Vol. 3, Pg.1: "Families of the various Applegate names were seated in England; Applegarth in Hampshire; Apeliard in Norfolkshire.... Among the lords of Rainthrop Hall and Mills Manor was Bartholomew Apelyard; and in 1419 a branch of the Applegates came into possession of Duaton Manor. Will Applegate bequeathed it in 1481 to his son, Thomas, and named his mother, Elizabeth, and his brothers John and Bartholomew. The repeated use of the comparatively rare Christian name of Bartholomew is significant and implies a relationship between this family and the imigrant to America, Thomas Applegate."

THOMAS APPLEGATE, the founder of the Applegate family in America, was an Englishman, probably of Norfolkshire orgin. His surname can be traced, with corruptions and variations in its spelling, due to time, cuphony and the carelessness or ignorance of scribblers or recording clerks, from Applegarth and Applegath, (an enclosure for apple trees), to Applegate. The names Appleyard and Applewaite were also applied to persons residing at or owning orchards. And the most ancient form was probably Apeliard, suggesting an early Norman orgin.

Families of these various names were seated in England; one , Applegarth, at Rapley, in Hampshire; another the Apeliard, in Norfolkshire, who had among its earliest and most distinguished members Nicholas de Apelyard, Robert del Apelgath, Jeffrey de Applegarth, whose estate was mentioned in 1199, and John Appleyard, who lived in the time of Richard II, 1377-99, and had a son, Sir Nicholas Apelyard or Apeliard. These families held many estates in Norfolkshire; among them Rainthrop Hall, Mills Manor, Hals Manor, and Testerdon Manor, etc.

In Norfolkshire there is found a striking coincidence of family names in the Appleyard family with those of the first Applegates in New Jersey.

Among the lords of Rainthrop Hall and Mills Manor was Bartholomew Apelyard, and in 1419, a branch of the Appleyards came into the possession of Duaton Manor. Will Applegate, in 1481, bequeathed it to his son, Thomas, and named his mother , Elizabeth, and his brothers, John and Bartholomew Applegate. Bartholomew Applegate died in 1492.

The repeated use of the comparatively rare Christian name, Bartholomew, is suggestive, if not substantiative, of a relationship between Thomas Applegate, the Immigrant, and the Norfolkshire family.

In America, the name has also undergone changes. The last half has, occasionally, been lopped off and it has remained simply Appel; and it has been spelled Applegadt and Appleget, as now the case in Middlesex County, NJ; but the Monmouth County family spell it –Applegate.

TFA Jan 04, 2011

• Reference: Find A Grave Memorial - SmartCopy: Jul 20 2018, 12:19:53 UTC