Dewe History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Wales
Ireland

The name Dewe can be traced to the ancient Celtic culture of Wales. The surname Dewe is derived from the Welsh word "tew," which means "portly" or "plump," and was most likely originally a nickname for a heavy-set person.

Early Origins of the Dewe family

The surname Dewe was first found in Cardiganshire (Welsh: Sir Aberteifi), the former Kingdom of Ceredigion, created as a county in 1282 by Edward I, and located on the West coast of Wales, where they held a family seat anciently. Traditionally they claim descent from Rhodri Mawr, the first great King of Wales through Lord Rhys, Prince of South Wales. Gwenllian, daughter of John Tew married Dafydd Llywellyn Lloyd of Castle Howel, first knight of the shire for Cardiganshire.

Early History of the Dewe family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Dewe research. Another 34 words (2 lines of text) covering the years 1650, 1654, 1695, 1714, 1715 and 1718 are included under the topic Early Dewe History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Dewe Spelling Variations

Although there are comparatively few Welsh surnames, they have a great many spelling variations. Variations of Welsh names began almost immediately after their acceptance within Welsh society. In the Middle Ages, it was up to priests and the few other people that recorded names in official documents to decide how to spell the names that they heard. Variations that occurred because of improper recording increased dramatically as the names were later transliterated into English. The Brythonic Celtic language of Wales, known by natives as Cymraeg, featured many highly inflected sounds that could not be properly captured by the English language. Spelling variations were, however, also carried out according to an individual's design: a branch loyalty within the family, a religious adherence, or even patriotic affiliations were all indicated by the particular variation of one's name. The spelling variations of the name Dewe have included Tew, Tews, Tewell, Tewel, Tuel, Tuell and others.

Early Notables of the Dewe family

Prominent amongst the family during the late Middle Ages was John Tew of Cardigan; Henry Tew (1654-1718), early American 16th Deputy Governor of the Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations (1714-1715); and Thomas Tew (c. 1650-1695), American pirate who gained notoriety in the Red Sea...
Another 45 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Dewe Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Dewe family to Ireland

Some of the Dewe family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 39 words (3 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Dewe migration to the United States +

Many Welsh joined the great migrations to North America in the late 1800s and early 1900s. Like their Scottish and Irish neighbors, many Welsh families left their homeland hoping to find hope and prosperity in a land that the English did not exercise a tight rule over. Those Welsh immigrants that successfully traveled to North America went on to make significant contributions to the rapid development of both Canada and the United States in terms of the settling of land and the establishment of industry. They also added to the rich cultural heritage of both countries. An examination into the immigration and passenger lists has discovered a number of people bearing the name Dewe:

Dewe Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Tho Dewe, who landed in Virginia in 1638 1
John Dewe, who landed in Virginia in 1664 1

Dewe Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

John Dewe, who arrived in Virginia in 1713 1

Dewe migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Dewe Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Mr. John Dewe, British settler travelling from Gravesend, UK aboard the ship "Blundell" arriving in Otago, South Island, New Zealand on 21st September 1848 2
Mrs. Dewe, British settler travelling from Gravesend, UK with 4 children aboard the ship "Blundell" arriving in Otago, South Island, New Zealand on 21st September 1848 2
Mr. John Dewe, (b. 1948), aged 28, Scottish settler travelling from Glasgow aboard the ship "Pomona" arriving in Bluff, Southland, South Island, New Zealand on 14th April 1876 3
Mrs. Ann Dewe, (b. 1946), aged 30, Scottish settler travelling from Glasgow aboard the ship "Pomona" arriving in Bluff, Southland, South Island, New Zealand on 14th April 1876 3

Citations +

Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 17th October 2018). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 26th March 2019). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html