Five Centuries of Scantlebury family history and a one name study a family of farmers, mariners, sailors, coastguards, carpenters, tailors and builders originating from Cornwall in the 16th Century.

The origin of the Scantlebury surname and it variants

The Oxford Dictionary of Surnames gives the origin of Scantlebury as: -

English (West Country) of unknown origin perhaps a habitation name from Kentisbury or Kentisbeare both found in Devon with an added "S".

Both villages can be found in the Domesday Book

Kentisbury in South Devon near Cullumpton is spelt Chentesberie in the Domesday Book, Kentelesbere in 1240 and Kentesbyire in 1252 in Fleet Fines.

Kentisbury in North Devon spelt Chentesberie in the Domesday Book Kentelesberi in 1260 and Kentelesberi in 1275.

Another plausible theory is that Skentel is a Cornish word meaning "Craftsman", and bery/bury is an old English word for house/hamlet so Skentelbery/Scantlebury could translate in simple Old English to a "Thatcher"

Variations and spellings of Scantlebury

Skentbewe (1561), Skantilbew (1575), Scentilbewy (1601 ), Skentlebewe (1612), Scantlebewe (1622 ), Skentelbewe (1690), Skentlebury (1649), Skentelbury (1785), Scantlebury (1809

Five Centuries of Scantlebury family history and a one name study a family of farmers, mariners, sailors, coastguards, carpenters, tailors and builders originating from Cornwall in the 16th Century.

Origins

Five Centuries of Scantlebury family history and a one name study

a family of farmers, mariners, sailors, coastguards, carpenters, tailors and builders originating from Cornwall in the 16th Century.