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Foord History Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables

Contemporary Notables Historic Events Related Stories Citations

Foord History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

The ancestry of the name Foord can be traced back to the Anglo-Saxon tribes of Britain. It is a name for a keeper of the ford or river crossing. 1

Early Origins of the Foord family

The surname Foord was first found in the Domesday Book of 1086 where Bruma de la forda was listed at Winton, Hampshire. 2 Years later in Somerset, Eadric æt Fordan was listed as an Old English Byname, 1100-1130. The Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 included Reginald de la Forthe in Suffolk and later, Geoffrey atte Forde was found in Sussex in 1296. 3

The Hundredorum Rolls also included: Richard de la Forde, Norfolk; and William de la Forde, Kent. 4 In Somerset, David atte Forde was registered there 1 Edward III (during the first year of the reign of King Edward III.) 5

The name is "characteristic of the southern and western counties. Absent or singularly rare north of a line drawn from the Wash to the Mersey. It is at present most numerous in Devon, Dorset, Gloucestershire, Hants, and Cheshire. In almost all the counties where this name is at all frequent we find it in one form or another as a place - name." 6

Early History of the Foord family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Foord research. Another 116 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1559, 1586, 1594, 1598, 1615, 1616, 1619, 1640, 1642, 1660, 1662, 1664, 1669, 1674, 1684, 1699, 1804, 1826, 1846, 1847, 1863, 1890, 1905 and 1947 are included under the topic Early Foord History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Foord Spelling Variations

Foord has been spelled many different ways. Before English spelling became standardized over the last few hundred years, spelling variations in names were a common occurrence. As the English language changed in the Middle Ages, absorbing pieces of Latin and French, as well as other languages, the spelling of people's names also changed considerably, even over a single lifetime. Many variations of the name Foord have been found, including Forde, Ford, Alford and others.

Early Notables of the Foord family

Notables of this surname at this time include:

William Ford or Foord (c.1559-1616?), Church of England clergyman, he may have been the same William Ford who became Rector of Thurleigh, Bedfordshire in 1594 or the William Ford who became Vicar of B...

Migration of the Foord family to Ireland

Some of the Foord family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 126 words (9 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Foord migration to the United States +

In an attempt to escape the chaos experienced in England, many English families boarded overcrowded and diseased ships sailing for the shores of North America and other British colonies. Those families hardy enough, and lucky enough, to make the passage intact were rewarded with land and a social environment less prone to religious and political persecution. Many of these families became important contributors to the young colonies in which they settled. Early immigration and passenger lists have documented some of the first Foords to arrive on North American shores:

Foord Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Adrian Foord, who landed in Virginia in 1643 7
Roger Foord, who landed in New England in 1644 7
Hester Foord, who arrived in Virginia in 1650 7
Lettice Foord, who arrived in Maryland in 1673 7
John Foord, who landed in New Jersey in 1685 7

Foord Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

John A Foord, who landed in Iowa in 1883 7

Foord migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Foord Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Mr. James Foord, (b. 1785), aged 44, English agricultural labourer who was convicted in Middlesex, England for life for smuggling, transported aboard the "Claudine" on 19th August 1829, arriving in New South Wales, Australia, he died in 1830 shortly after arriving 8
George Foord, aged 49, a widower, who arrived in South Australia in 1851 aboard the ship "Oregon" 9
Joseph Foord, aged 19, who arrived in South Australia in 1851 aboard the ship "Oregon" 9
Ellen Foord, aged 9, who arrived in South Australia in 1851 aboard the ship "Oregon" 9
Mary Foord, aged 11, who arrived in South Australia in 1851 aboard the ship "Oregon" 9
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Foord (post 1700) +

Charles William "Bill" Foord (1924-2015), English first-class cricketer who played 51 first-class matches for Yorkshire County Cricket Club
Herbert Vernon "Bert" Foord (1930-2001), English BBC meteorologist during the 1960s and early 1970s
Stu Foord (b. 1985), Canadian CFL football running back for the BC Lions
Heather Foord (1965-2009), Australian television journalist, recently known for her work on Nine News Queensland, Weekend Presenter (2009-2011)
Caitlin Foord (b. 1994), Australian professional footballer

Historic Events for the Foord family +

Empress of Ireland

Miss Alice Foord (1910-1914), Canadian Second Class Passenger from Toronto, Ontario, Canada who was traveling aboard the Empress of Ireland and died in the sinking 10
Mrs. Alice Foord (1882-1914), née Ward Canadian Second Class Passenger from Toronto, Ontario, Canada who was traveling aboard the Empress of Ireland and died in the sinking 10
Mr. Alfred Foord (1881-1914), Canadian Second Class Passenger from Toronto, Ontario, Canada who was traveling aboard the Empress of Ireland and died in the sinking 10

Citations +

Smith, Eldson Coles, New Dictionary of American Family Names New York: Harper & Row, 1956. Print
Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
Dickinson, F.H., Kirby's Quest for Somerset of 16th of Edward the 3rd London: Harrison and Sons, Printers in Ordinary to Her Majesty, St, Martin's Lane, 1889. Print.
Guppy, Henry Brougham, Homes of Family Names in Great Britain. 1890. Print.
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)
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 18th February 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/claudine
State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) The barque OREGON, 521 tons - 1851 voyage to South Australia. Retrieved http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1851Oregon.htm
Commemoration Empress of Ireland 2014. (Retrieved 2014, June 16) . Retrieved from http://www.empress2014.ca/seclangen/listepsc1.html