Screaton

Recorded in several spelling forms including Screaton, Screton, and Screeton, this is an English surname. It is also clearly locational, although no such place is apparently recorded in any of the known surname spellings. This would suggest that the name is one of the estimated five thousand surnames of the British Isles which originates from a now 'lost' medieval village. Lost villages are a major phenomena of the landscape. Many were swallowed up by the growth of suburbia, but the majority were 'cleared' during the period from the 15th century, when the land was turned over to pasture particularly, with the growth of the textile industry, to facilitate sheep farming. When this happened the tenants were turned off, and forced to seek new homes. In so doing they took as their surname, the name of their former home. Spelling being at best erratic and local dialects very thick, lead to the development of 'sounds like' spellings. We believe that the place name and hence the surname is of Olde English origins from the word 'scaef' meaning cave, and 'tun', a hamlet. Early recordings include: Isabella Screton, who married John Beecroft at St James church, Dukes Place, in the city of London, on October 21st 1679, Elizabeth Screaton, who married Peter Clark at St James church, Westminster, on April 11th 1750, and George Screeton, who married Lucy Taylor at St Pancras Old Church, London, on January 23rd 1841.