Pledger History, Family Crest & Coats of ArmsThe Pledger surname comes from the Middle English word "pleggere," meaning "one who pledges in a lawsuit." Early Origins of the Pledger familyThe surname Pledger was first found in Cambridgeshire where they held a family seat as Lords of the Manor. After the Battle of Hastings in 1066, William, Duke of Normandy, having prevailed over King Harold, granted most of Britain to his many victorious Barons. It was not uncommon to find a Baron, or a Bishop, with 60 or more Lordships scattered throughout the country. These he gave to his sons, nephews and other junior lines of his family and they became known as under-tenants. They adopted the Norman system of surnames which identified the under-tenant with his holdings so as to distinguish him from the senior stem of the family. After many rebellious wars between his Barons, Duke William, commissioned a census of all England to determine in 1086, settling once and for all, who held which land. He called the census the Domesday Book, 1 indicating that those holders registered would hold the land until the end of time. Hence, conjecturally, the surname is descended from the tenant of the lands of Bottisham, held by Walter Giffard, one of the greatest of the Norman Earls who was recorded in the Domesday Book census of 1086. Early History of the Pledger familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Pledger research. Another 120 words (9 lines of text) covering the years 1510, 1599 and 1600 are included under the topic Early Pledger History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Pledger Spelling VariationsSpelling variations of this family name include: Pledger, Pledgard, Pledgar, Pledgred, Pleger and others. Early Notables of the Pledger familyOutstanding amongst the family at this time was
Pledger RankingIn the United States, the name Pledger is the 12,160th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 2
Some of the first settlers of this family name were: Pledger Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include: Pledger Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
|