Hillston History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
The Anglo-Saxon name Hillston comes from when the family resided in the parish of Hilton found in several locations including Derby, Dorset, Durham, Staffordshire and the North Riding of Yorkshire. The surname Hillston is a topographic surname, which was given to a person who resided near a physical feature such as a hill. In this case the original bearers of the surname Hillston lived in the hill-town.
Early Origins of the Hillston family
The surname Hillston was first found in Durham, now in the area of Sunderland, Tyne and Wear, England where one of the first records of the name was Robert Hylton, 1st Baron Hylton (d. 1322.) His son, Alexander, was called to Parliament in 1332 and 1335. This first line of Barons Hylton continued for 424 years ending with John Hylton, the 18th Baron Hylton (1699-1746.)
Walter Hilton (d. 1396), was a religious writer and Canon of the house of Augustinian canons at Thurgarton in Nottinghamshire. 
Hylton Castle is now a ruined stone castle in the North Hylton and is owned by English Heritage. "It was the residence of the Hyltons from the time of King Athelstan to the year 1746, and the building has the arms of that ancient family and its alliances engraven on it in numerous places; its battlements are ornamented with statues, and its corners with circular turrets." 
Early History of the Hillston family
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Hillston research. Another 129 words (9 lines of text) covering the years 1100, 1296, 1295, 1532, 1396, 1400, 1322, 1360, 1340, 1377, 1356, 1435, 1385, 1447, 1457, 1451, 1500, 1535, 1560, 1599, 1657 and 1609 are included under the topic Early Hillston History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Hillston Spelling Variations
Before English spelling was standardized a few hundred years ago, spelling variations of names were a common occurrence. Elements of Latin, French and other languages became incorporated into English through the Middle Ages, and name spellings changed even among the literate. The variations of the surname Hillston include Hilton, Hylton and others.
Early Notables of the Hillston family (pre 1700)
Notables of this surname at this time include: Robert Hylton, 1st Baron Hylton (d. 1322); Alexander Hylton, 2nd Baron Hylton (d. 1360); Robert Hylton, de jure 3rd Baron Hylton (1340-1377); Sir William Hylton, de jure 4th Baron Hylton (1356-1435); Sir Robert Hylton, de jure 5th Baron Hylton (1385-1447); William Hylton, de jure 6th Baron Hylton...
Another 54 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Hillston Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Migration of the Hillston family to Ireland
Some of the Hillston family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt. More information about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Migration of the Hillston family
A great wave of immigration to the New World was the result of the enormous political and religious disarray that struck England at that time. Families left for the New World in extremely large numbers. The long journey was the end of many immigrants and many more arrived sick and starving. Still, those who made it were rewarded with an opportunity far greater than they had known at home in England. These emigrant families went on to make significant contributions to these emerging colonies in which they settled. Some of the first North American settlers carried this name or one of its variants: Hugh Hilton, who settled in Virginia in 1619, a year before the " Mayflower"; Mary Hilton settled in Plymouth Massachusetts in 1623; William Hilton settled in Plymouth with his wife and two children in 1623..
- Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print
- Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.