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Spelling variations of this family name include: Eastman, Eastmunt, Esmund, Estman, Yeastman, Eestman, Eastmun, Eastmen, Eastmin and many more. First found in Suffolk, England, where they held a family seat from very ancient times. Some of the first settlers of this family name or some of its variants were: Roger Eastman, who settled in Massachusetts in 1636; Mary Eastman, who immigrated to Maryland in 1671; James Eastman, who arrived in the Barbados in 1679.
Crest: A swan collared and lined proper.
BLAZON OF ARMS: Gules in the dexter chief point an escutcheon argent charged with a lion rampant sable. Gules denotes Military Fortitude an Magnanimity. The lion signifies Strength, Courage and a Foe to Fear. Sable (black) denotes Prudence, Mystery and Secrecy. A red shield with a silver gold escutcheon in dexter chief, charged with a black lion.
The English surname Eastman is patronymic in origin, being derived from the name of the father. In this case, Eastman means "son of Easthund". Easthund is an old English personal name which means 'grace - protector' or 'favor - protector'. Over the years the ending of the name was changed to "man". Early instances of this surname includes Ricardus filius Esthund who was registered in the Essex Rolls of 1195. The 'filius' emphasizes the origins of the name meaning simply 'son of'. In the Hundred Rolls of Cambridge for the year 1273 there is a record of Geoffrey, Cecil and Hugh Esthund.
An advisor with Burke's Peerage in 1991, in England, said that the crest with the collared swan at the top of the crest signifies the Eastman family were connected to royalty by way of servitude in the arts. They were most likely court poets and musicians at the time this crest was designed. The collar with the chain signifies this lack of personal freedom. The crest also signifies protection and grace and favor, all traits one would need to be affiliated with royalty.
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The first known Eastman ancestors came from the Parish of Downton, Wiltshire, in the southern part of the Salisbury plain in southern Britain. The name "Eastman" may imply simply that the earlier ancestors migrated to the area from the East - perhaps as near as the London area, or as far as the Nordic countries.
John Eastman 1 of Charleton, Downton Parish, Wilts County, made a will dated April 26, 1564, proved 9 May, 1565. He noted therein that his father is buried in "the churche of Saynt Lawrence in Downton" and directed that be also be buried there. John had at least two sons, including Roger 2. His will made bequests to William, "my sonne" and to William's children, John, William, Walter and Florence. He named his son, Roger 2 as his Executor, and granted bequests to him and his sons, John and William. {Source: Charles R. Eastman, "A Sixteenth Century Eastman Will," ___ The Granite Monthly 372-373 (date uncertain, about 1912).}
There is also a John Eastman, Sr. of Nunton, an adjoining village. John, Sr., of Nunton may have been a cousin of John of Charleton. John of Nunton left a will that is found in the Archdeaconry Court of Sarum (modern Salisbury), Book 4, folio 117, dated 23 December 1557. In it he names various Eastmans, presumably related, including Raffe of Charleton, Alen of Charleton, John of Charleton, Richard of Charleton, John of West Harnham "and Roger Eastman his brother of Downton," Walter (spelled "water") of Charleton, William of Charleton, and Joan, "the daughter of Roger Eastman." {Source: Charles R. Eastman, "Wills of Early English Eastmans," ___ The Granite Monthly 312-314 (Oct. 1911).}
Roger Eastman 2 was an adult when his father's will was made, and died in February, 1604. He was buried on the 17th of that month. His original will is on file in the Consistory Court of Sarum. He had seven or eight children, among whom was Nicholas 3, born between 1564 and 1570 (probably after the death of his Grandfather, John). Roger 2 married Barbara (surname probably Rooke), also of Charleton. He died after 1625. His eldest brother was William, born before 1564, who married Edith ___, who died in 1605. William remarried two years later, but the name of his second wife has not survived. He and his eight sons resided in Downton. The children of Roger 2 and Barbara were: William, John, Nicholas 3, Edith (d. 1607), Walter, Roger, Mary, and Thomas.
Nicholas Eastman 3 and his wife Barbara had seven sons and three daughters. Thomas was the eldest. He married Alice Sanders of Week, in 1634, and probably inherited the bulk of his father's estate. That may help explain why his younger brother, Roger 4, baptized 4 April 1610 (the third of the sons), decided to emigrate to the New World.
Online reports claim Eastman is a Romani name, and they even list the basketmakers of Downton by name. But it seems hard to trace a Gypsy history to such a settled family -- still, perhaps in the 14th century it was so.
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First Generation John EASTMAN Born in 1515 (Est.) in Downton Parish, England. John died in Downton, England in 1565, he was 50. Earliest ancestor. Surname was Easman, Estman, Estmann or Eastman. Will dated: April 26, 1564. Will proved: May 9, 1565 at Archdeaconry Court of Sarum, Salisbury, England. John married UNKNOWN. They had the following children: i. Roger (1539-1603) ii. William.
Second Generation Roger EASTMAN Born in 1539. Roger died on 17Feb, 1603-04, he was 64. Will dated: 11 Jan, 1604. Will probated: 21 Feb, 1604. Will on file with the Consistory Court of Sarum, Salisbury, England. Roger married UNKNOWN. They had the following children: i. Nicholas (1564-1640) ii. John. Born in (bef) 1564. iii. William. Born in (bef) 1564. Born in Downton Parish, England
Third Generation Nicholas EASTMAN Born in 1564 - 1570 (Est.) in Downton, England. Nicholas died in Downton, England in 1640, he was 76. In 1600 (Est) when Nicholas was 36, he married Ann Barbara ROOKE, in Charlton, Wiltshire, England. Born in 1581 (est) in Charlton, Wiltshire, England. Ann Barbara died in Downton, England on 9 Jul 1625, she was 44. They had the following children: i. Thomas. Born on 9Jan, 1602-03 in Downton, England. ii. John. Born on 24 Dec 1605 in Downton, England. iii. Margaret. Born on 26 Mar 1608 in Downton, England. iv. Roger Born on 4 Apr 1610 in Downton, England. v. Nicholas. Born on 29 Nov 1612 in Downton, England. vi. Maurice (Morris). Born on 26 Apr 1615 in Downton, England. vii. William. Born on 21Jan, 1617-18 in Downton, England. viii. Alexander. Born on 12 Sep 1620 in Downton, England. ix. Christiana. Born on 24 Nov 1622 in Downton, England. x. Mary. Born on 24Mar, 1624-25 in Downton, England.
Fourth Generation Roger EASTMAN "Immigrant" Born on 4 Apr 1610 in Downton, England. Roger died in Salisbury, Massachusetts on 16 Dec 1694, he was 84. Occupation: House carpenter. Sailed from Southampton, England on 11 Apr, 1638 on the ship Confidence. Arrived at Massachusetts Bay Colony on 30Apr, 1638. It is believed that Roger is the sole ancestor of all the Eastmans in the U.S. Received lands in the first division in Salisbury, Massachusetts in 1640-43. In 1639 when Roger was 28, he married Sarah SMITH. Born in 1621 (est) in Wales. Sarah died in Salisbury, Massachusetts on 11 Mar 1697, she was 76. They had the following children: i. John (1640-1720) ii. Nathaniel (1643-1709) iii. Philip. Born on 20 Oct 1644 in Salisbury, Massachusetts. Philip died in Salisbury, Massachusetts on 20 Oct 1714, he was 70. Was in Captain Benjamin Lovett's Co., King Philips War. (Great Indian War of 1675 and 1676) On 22 Aug 1678 when Philip was 33, he married Mary Margaret BARNARD, in Newbury, Essex Co., Massachusetts. Mary Margaret died on 11 Jun 1724. iv. Timothy. Born on 29 Sep 1648 in Salisbury, Massachusetts. v. Thomas (1646-1688) vi. Joseph (1650-1692) vii. Benjamin. Born on 12 Dec 1652 in Salisbury, Massachusetts. viii. Sarah (1655-1748) ix. Samuel. Born on 20 Sep 1657 in Salisbury, Massachusetts. x. Ruth. Born on 21 Jan 1661 in Salisbury, Massachusetts.
Fifth Generation Thomas Eastman John EASTMAN. Born on 9 Jan 1640. John died in Salisbury, Massachusetts on 25 Mar 1720, he was 80. On 5 Nov 1670 when John was 30, he married Mary BOYNTON. They had one child: i. Elizabeth. Nathaniel EASTMAN. Born on 18 Mar 1643. Nathaniel died in Salisbury, Massachusetts on 30 Nov 1709, he was 66. On 30 Apr 1672 when Nathaniel was 29, he married Elizabeth HUDSON. They had one child: i. Lydia. Thomas EASTMAN Born on 11 Sep 1646 in Salisbury, Massachusetts. Thomas died in Haverhill, Massachusetts on 29 Apr 1688, he was 41. Served in the military. Took Oath of Allegiance in 1675. Was a veteran in King Philip's War in 1675-76. Cause of death: Killed by Indians. On 20 Jan 1679 when Thomas was 32, he married Deborah CORLISS, daughter of George CORLISS & Joanna DAVIS, in Haverhill, Essex, Massachusetts. Born on 6 Jun 1655 in Haverhill, Massachusetts. Deborah died on 15Mar, 1696-97, she was 40. They had the following children: i. Jonathan (1680-1758) ii. Sarah. Born on 9 Jun 1683 in Haverhill, Massachusetts. Sarah died on 15 Mar 1697, she was 13. Killed by Indians in the Dustin massacre. iii. Joannah. Born on 9 Jun 1683 in Haverhill, Massachusetts. Joannah died on 17 Aug 1684, she was 1. iv. Joannah. Born on 27 May 1686 in Haverhill, Massachusetts. Joseph EASTMAN. Born on 8 Nov 1650 in Salisbury, Massachusetts. Joseph died on 4 Apr 1692, he was 41. Joseph married Mary TILTON. Born on 8 Feb 1649. They had the following children: i. Peter. ii. Joseph. Sarah EASTMAN. Born on 25 Jul 1655 in Salisbury, Massachusetts. Sarah died on 1 Dec 1748, she was 93. On 13 Jun 1678 when Sarah was 22, she first married Joseph FRENCH, in Salisbury, Massachusetts. They had the following children: i. Joseph. ii. Timothy. iii. Simon. Sarah second married Solomon SHEPHERD. Born on 2 Aug 1684.
Sixth Generation Jonathan Eastman Jonathan EASTMAN Born on 8 Jan 1680 in Haverhill, Massachusetts. Jonathan died in 1758 (est), he was 77. Executed will on 2Mar, 1747. Admitted to probate 30 May, 1758. Will can be found in Vol 14, page 503, Exeter probate records. Haverhill was first settled in 1640. It was a bloody and miserable time for its residents and the rest of the colonies due to the depredations of the Indians. In 1704, Jonathan's wife, Hannah, was captured by Indians, where their 8 day old baby, Abigail, was savagely and brutally killed in front of her. Three years later Jonathan rescued her at Three River, Canada. On 8 Apr 1701 when Jonathan was 21, he married Hannah GREENE, daughter of Peter GREENE & Elizabeth DUSTON. Born on 20 Dec 1677 in Haverhill, Massachusetts. Hannah died in (aft) 1759, she was 81. They had the following children: i. Thomas. Born on 17 Mar 1702. Thomas died on 20 Jul 1703, he was 1. ii. Abigail. Born on 1 Feb 1704. Abigail died on 8 Feb 1704. Killed by Indians. iii. Mehitable. Born on 17 Nov 1707. iv. Peter. Born on 20 Apr 1710. Peter married Elizabeth HARRIMAN. v. Richard. Born on 9 Aug 1712. vi. Sarah. Born on 16 Feb 1714. vii. William (1715-1790) viii. Jonathan. Born on 3 Sep 1717. Jonathan married Hannah WILKINS. ix. Amos. Born on 3 Aug 1719. x. Elizabeth. Born on 5 Sep 1721. Elizabeth died on 31 Jan 1724, she was 2. xi. Hannah. Born on 5 Jun 1726.