Contents [hide]

Gedney History Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables

Ireland United States Canada New Zealand

Contemporary Notables Related Stories Citations

Gedney History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

The ancestors of the Gedney surname lived among the ancient Anglo-Saxon culture. The name comes from when they lived in the village of Gedney in the county of Lincolnshire. The place-name is derived from the Old English Gyddan-ea, which literally means Gydda's island. Another source notes the place name probably means "island or well-watered land of a man called Gaeda or Gydda," from the Old English personal name. 1

Early Origins of the Gedney family

The surname Gedney was first found in Lincolnshire at Gedney, a village and civil parish in the South Holland district that dates back to the Domesday Book of 1086 where it was listed as Gadenai. 2

"The church [of Gedney] is a beautiful structure, supposed to have been built by the abbots of Crowland, who had large possessions in the parish; it contains 53 windows, those of the north aisle having considerable remains of painted glass." 3

Today the parish includes the hamlets of Gedney Drove End, Gedney Dyke, Gedney Dawsmere, and Gedney Marsh.

One of the first records of the family was found in the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273, where Hervey de Gedeney was listed in Lincolnshire. 4

Early History of the Gedney family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Gedney research. Another 55 words (4 lines of text) covering the years 1640, 1698 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Gedney History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Gedney 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 Gedney include Gidney, Gibney, Gedney, Gibbney and others.

Early Notables of the Gedney family

Notables of this surname at this time include:

Bartholomew Gedney (c. 1640-1698), early American merchant, physician, military officer, best known as one of the magistrates in the Salem witchcraft trials

Migration of the Gedney family to Ireland

Some of the Gedney family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 57 words (4 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Gedney migration to the United States +

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:

Gedney Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Mr. John Gedney, British weaver and Quaker from Norwich, Norfolk departing May 1637 from England aboard the ship "Mary Ann" arriving in Boston, Massachusetts, United States on 20 June 1637, heading to Salem where he opened a tavern called "Ship Tavern" 5
Mrs. Sarah Mary Gedney, (nee Bartholomew), (b. 1612), aged 25, British settler from Norwich, Norfolk departing May 1637 from England aboard the ship "Mary Ann" arriving in Boston, Massachusetts, United States on 20 June 1637, heading to Salem 5
Miss Lydia Gedney, British settler from Norwich, Norfolk departing May 1637 from England aboard the ship "Mary Ann" arriving in Boston, Massachusetts, United States on 20 June 1637, heading to Salem 5
Miss Hannah Gedney, British settler from Norwich, Norfolk departing May 1637 from England aboard the ship "Mary Ann" arriving in Boston, Massachusetts, United States on 20 June 1637, heading to Salem 5
Mr. John Gedney, Jr., British settler from Norwich, Norfolk departing May 1637 from England aboard the ship "Mary Ann" arriving in Boston, Massachusetts, United States on 20 June 1637, heading to Salem 5
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Gedney migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Gedney Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century

Mr. John Gedney U.E. born in Westchester County, New York, USA who settled in Sussex, Kings County, New Brunswick c. 1784 6

Gedney 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:

Gedney Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Mr. John Gedney, (b. 1857), aged 21, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Western Monarch" arriving in New Zealand in 1879 7
Mr. James Gedney, (b. 1863), aged 20, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Victory " arriving in Invercargill, Southland, South Island, New Zealand on 23rd December 1883 7

Contemporary Notables of the name Gedney (post 1700) +

Christopher Joseph Gedney (1970-2018), former American college and professional football player from Liverpool, New York
William H. Gedney, American Republican politician, Member of New York State Assembly from New York County 9th District, 1875; Alternate Delegate to Republican National Convention from New York, 1892 8
Walter S. Gedney, American Republican politician, Member of New York State Assembly from Rockland County, 1924-29 8
Kenneth H. Gedney, American Republican politician, Alternate Delegate to Republican National Convention from Nebraska, 1940 8
Henry B. Gedney, American Republican politician, Mayor of Mamaroneck, New York; Elected 1931 8
Thomas Gedney Patten (1861-1939), American Democratic Party politician, U.S. Representative from New York, 1911-17; Defeated, 1916; Postmaster at New York City, New York, 1917-21 9

Citations +

Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
Passengers of the Mary Anne of Yarmouth (Retrieved 18th November 2020). Retrieved from http://www.angelfire.com/mi4/polcrt/MaryAnne.html
Rubincam, Milton. The Old United Empire Loyalists List. Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc, 1976. (Originally published as; United Empire Loyalists. The Centennial of the Settlement of Upper Canada. Rose Publishing Company, 1885.) ISBN 0-8063-0331-X
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 26th March 2019). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, October 19) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2016, January 14) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html