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crest image Fullerton was first used as a surname in the Scottish/English Borderlands by the Strathclyde-Briton. The first Fullerton family lived in the barony of Fullertoun in the parish of Dundonald in Ayrshire. That the family assumed the name of where they lived is often indicative the degree of power and influence they held in that area. Fullerton is most definitely such a name, easily identified by the suffix "-ton", meaning "settlement" or "town". The place in question is almost certainly Fullerton, near Ayr or possibly Foulertoun near Forfar, both in Scotland. Both of these towns derive their name from the word "fuglere", meaning "bird-catcher" (the English word "fowler" has the same origin), indicating that fowl was the primary product of these towns.

Fullerton Early Origins

Medieval Scottish names are rife with spelling variations. This is due to the fact that scribes in that era spelled according to the sound of words, rather than any set of rules. Fullerton has been spelled Fullerton, Fullarton, Foulerton, Fowlerton, McCoy and others.
First found in Ayrshire. The earliest evidence of the Fullerton family appeared in the mid 13th century, with Alanus de Fowlertoun who founded and endowed out of his lands a convent of Carmelite or White Friars at Irvine. He died circa 1280 and was succeeded by his son Adam de Fowlerton, who had a charter of the lands of Foullartous and Gaylis in Kyle Stewart a few years after his father’s death. A branch of his family settled in Arran and are said to have received from King Robert the Bruce a charter of the lands of Kilmichael with the office of coroner and the honorary title of Falconer to the King, in 1307. These estates were held for several centuries and in later years the family branched to Kinnaber in Angus. Gradually many of the estates were lost by marriage, and one of the last was Ballintoy Castle in County Antrim, Ireland which was acquired by the Downings in marriage. From the appointment by Bruce on, a long series of titles belonged to this respectable family. Rankin de Fowlartoun was the dominus de Corsby in the early 15th century and John Fullarton was first minister of Sanquhar after the Reformation. The most prestigious title held by the family came, however, in 1327 when Robert I granted to Galfridus de Foullertoune (whose name is also recorded as Galfredus Fullerton) the land of Oulertoun in the sheriffdom of Forfar and the hereditary office of falconer within the sheriffdom. The estate was held by the Fullartons for over 120 years before they transferred themselves to the parish of Meigle, in which there are lands which bear the name to this day.

The Great Migration

Many Scots were left with few options other than to leave their homeland for the colonies across the Atlantic. Some of these families fought to defend their newfound freedom in the American War of Independence. Others went north to Canada as United Empire Loyalists. The ancestors of all of these families have recently been able to rediscover their roots through Clan societies and other Scottish organizations. Among them:

Fullerton Settlers in the United States in the 17th Century

James Fullerton settled in Virginia in 1658
Alexander Fullerton who settled in Virginia in 1684
Thomas Fullerton, who arrived in Perth Amboy, NJ in 1684

Fullerton Settlers in the United States in the 18th Century

Anna Fullerton, who arrived in Virginia in 1701
George Fullerton, who arrived in Charles Town, SC in 1709
William Fullerton, who landed in New England in 1728
George Fullerton settled in Georgia in 1735
Robert Fullerton, who arrived in Boston, Mass in 1745
David Fullerton, who landed in Dominica in 1767

Fullerton Settlers in the United States in the 19th Century

Agnes Fullerton, who arrived in America in 1805
James, Fullerton Jr., who arrived in America in 1809
John Fullerton, who landed in America in 1812
Stewart Fullerton, who arrived in New York in 1824
Ann Fullerton, who landed in New York in 1837
James Fullerton, who landed in Allegany (Allegheny) County, Pa in 1842
S Fullerton, who landed in San Francisco, Cal in 1850
Alexander, David, Douglas, Edward, Hugh, James, John, Matthew, Nathan, Patrick, Richard, Robert, Thomas, and William Fullerton, all arrived in Philadelphia between 1840 and 1865

Some noteworthy people of the name Fullerton

George Stuart Fullerton (1859-1925), American philosopher and psychologist
Curt Fullerton (1898-1975), American professional baseball player
Charles Gordon Fullerton (b. 1936), former NASA astronaut from September 1969 until November 1986 with over 15 days in orbit
Sir John Fullerton (1891-1988), British Lieutenant-General
F Iona Fullerton (b. 1955), British actress
Mary Eliza Fullerton (1868-1946), Australian writer

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: Lux in tenebris
Motto Translation: Light in darkness.


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