Contents [hide]

Sandford History Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables Ranking

Ireland United States Australia New Zealand West Indies

Contemporary Notables Historic Events Related Stories Motto Citations

Sandford History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

Sandford is a name that came to England in the 11th century wave of migration that was set off by the Norman Conquest of 1066. The Sandford family lived in Sandford in Berkshire, Devon, Dorset, Isle of Wight, Oxfordshire, and in Shropshire. These place names come from the Old English words "sand," and "ford." However, the name also seems to have arrived with the Normans, among whom were Ralph and Richard de Sanfort, Normandy. 1

Early Origins of the Sandford family

The surname Sandford was first found in Shropshire at Sandford, where Thomas de Saundford, one of the "companions in arms" of William I was given lands, for his assistance. He is mentioned in the Domesday Book of 1086. "Richard de Sanford was certainly seated at Sandford soon after the Conquest, and which has ever since remained their principal seat." 2 3

Sandford Hall, near Whitchurch survives today. This county house is thought to have been built between 1700 and 1750 and at the time of writing is up for sale. Thorpe-Salvin in the West Riding of Yorkshire was home to a branch of the family. "It was anciently the property of the Salvin family, and subsequently of the Sandfords, by whom the now ruined Hall was erected about the middle of the 16th century." 4

Another early record of the family was Fulk de Sandford (d. 1271), also called Fulk de Basset, Archbishop of Dublin, nephew of Sir Philip Basset. "There was a Richard de Sandford, a prebendary of St. Paul's in 1241, and John de Sandford, (died 1294) Archbishop of Dublin, was Fulk Sandford's brother, and is known to be illegitimate." 5

The variant Sande or Sende could have originated in Send, a parish, in the union of Guildford, Second division of the hundred of Woking in Surrey. 6 "A priory of Black canons, in honour of the Blessed Virgin Mary and St. Thomas à Becket, was founded in the time of Richard I., at Newark, in the parish, by Ruald de Calva and Beatrix his wife." 4

Indeed, we found two early listings of the family with very early spellings: William de Sandes in the Curia Regis Rolls of 1205 and Walter de la Sonde in the Feet of Fines of 1248. Both were found in Surrey at the time. 7

Early History of the Sandford family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Sandford research. Another 167 words (12 lines of text) covering the years 1296, 1298, 1301, 1332, 1533, 1547, 1555, 1605, 1630, 1639, 1641, 1653, 1680, 1683, 1694 and 1701 are included under the topic Early Sandford History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Sandford Spelling Variations

Spelling variations in names were a common occurrence in the eras before English spelling was standardized a few hundred years ago. In the Middle Ages, even the literate regularly changed the spellings of their names as the English language incorporated elements of French, Latin, and other European languages. Many variations of the name Sandford have been found, including Sandford, Sandiford, Samford, Sanford and others.

Early Notables of the Sandford family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was

John Sandford, English owner of a woolen mill in Stonehouse, county Gloucester, and Mayor of Gloucester in 1533; Thomas Sandford, High Sheriff of Cumberland in 1547 and 1555; Thomas SandfordJohn Sanfo...
Francis Sandford (1630-1694), was an Irish herald and genealogist, descended from an ancient family seated at Sandford, Shropshire, born in the castle of Carnow, co. Wicklow. "His father, was a royali...

Sandford Ranking

In the United States, the name Sandford is the 12,736^th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 8

Migration of the Sandford family to Ireland

Some of the Sandford family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt. More information about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Sandford migration to the United States +

For many English families, the social climate in England was oppressive and lacked opportunity for change. For such families, the shores of Ireland, Australia, and the New World beckoned. They left their homeland at great expense in ships that were overcrowded and full of disease. Many arrived after the long voyage sick, starving, and without a penny. But even those were greeted with greater opportunity than they could have experienced back home. Numerous English settlers who arrived in the United States and Canada at this time went on to make important contributions to the developing cultures of those countries. Many of those families went on to make significant contributions to the rapidly developing colonies in which they settled. Early North American records indicate many people bearing the name Sandford were among those contributors:

Sandford Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Thomas Sandford, who arrived in Virginia in 1619 aboard the ship "Margaret of Bristol"
John Sandford, who arrived in Boston in 1631
Robert Sandford, who settled in Connecticut in 1645
Alice Sandford, who landed in Maryland in 1663 9
Robert Sandford, who arrived in Maryland in 1665 9
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Sandford Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

John Sandford, who arrived in Charleston, South Carolina in 1814 9
Mr. Sandford, who arrived in Mobile, Ala in 1822 9
Elizabeth and John Sandford, who settled in New York in 1823 with their four children
Mary Sarah Sandford, who landed in New York in 1826 9
J P Sandford, who arrived in San Francisco, California in 1850 9
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Sandford migration to Australia +

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

Sandford Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

John Sandford, English convict from Essex, who was transported aboard the "Albion" on May 17, 1823, settling in Van Diemen's Land, Australia 10
William Sandford, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Lord Goderich" in 1838 11
Agnes Sandford, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Lord Goderich" in 1838 11
John Sandford, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Lord Goderich" in 1838 11
Robert Sandford, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Lord Goderich" in 1838 11
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Sandford 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:

Sandford Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Mr. Edward Sandford, (b. 1845), aged 28, English carpenter from Middlesex travelling from Gravesend aboard the ship "Surat" going to Dunedin, Otago, South Island, New Zealand in 1873, the ship sunk at the Catlins River all the passengers were transported to Dunedin via various rescure vessels 12
Mrs. Lucy Sandford, (b. 1847), aged 26, English settler from Middlesex travelling from Gravesend aboard the ship "Surat" going to Dunedin, Otago, South Island, New Zealand in 1873, the ship sunk at the Catlins River all the passengers were transported to Dunedin via various rescure vessels 12
Mr. William Sandford, (b. 1865), aged 8, English settler from Middlesex travelling from Gravesend aboard the ship "Surat" going to Dunedin, Otago, South Island, New Zealand in 1873, the ship sunk at the Catlins River all the passengers were transported to Dunedin via various rescure vessels 12
Miss Annie Sandford, (b. 1872), aged 11 months, English settler from Middlesex travelling from Gravesend aboard the ship "Surat" going to Dunedin, Otago, South Island, New Zealand in 1873, the ship sunk at the Catlins River all the passengers were transported to Dunedin via various rescure vessels 12
Mr. Ebenezer Sandford, (b. 1849), aged 25, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Peter Denny" arriving in Port Chalmers, Dunedin, Otago, South Island, New Zealand on 26th July 1874 12
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Sandford migration to West Indies +

The British first settled the British West Indies around 1604. They made many attempts but failed in some to establish settlements on the Islands including Saint Lucia and Grenada. By 1627 they had managed to establish settlements on St. Kitts (St. Christopher) and Barbados, but by 1641 the Spanish had moved in and destroyed some of these including those at Providence Island. The British continued to expand the settlements including setting the First Federation in the British West Indies by 1674; some of the islands include Barbados, Bermuda, Cayman Island, Turks and Caicos, Jamaica and Belize then known as British Honduras. By the 1960's many of the islands became independent after the West Indies Federation which existed from 1958 to 1962 failed due to internal political conflicts. After this a number of Eastern Caribbean islands formed a free association. 13

Sandford Settlers in West Indies in the 17th Century

Thomas Sandford of Bristol, who arrived in Barbados around 1629, where he became a most prominent and wealthy plantation owner
Charles Sandford, who settled in Barbados in 1659

Contemporary Notables of the name Sandford (post 1700) +

Stanley "Tiny" Sandford (1894-1961), American actor who appeared in Laurel and Hardy and Charlie Chaplin films
Thomas Sandford (1762-1808), American soldier and politician, made a General in the American War of Independence
Peter A. Sandford, American Republican politician, Delegate to Republican National Convention from New Jersey, 1964 14
Peregrine Sandford, American Democratic Party politician, Mayor of Paterson, New Jersey, 1857-58 14
Jared Sandford, American politician, Member of New York State Assembly from Westchester County 1st District, 1898 14
James T. Sandford, American politician, Representative from Tennessee at-large, 1823-25 14
Henry Sandford, American politician, Member of New York State Assembly from Oneida County 3rd District, 1852 14
Franklin Sandford, American politician, Representative from Kentucky 6th District, 1894 14
Elliott Sandford, American Democratic Party politician, Chief Justice of Utah Territorial Supreme Court, 1888-89; Delegate to New York State Constitutional Convention 8th District, 1894 14
Cassius B. Sandford, American politician, Mayor of Covington, Kentucky, 1865-68 14
... (Another 15 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Historic Events for the Sandford family +

HMS Royal Oak

Frederick William Charles Sandford (1908-1939), British Marine with the Royal Marine aboard the HMS Royal Oak (1939) when she was torpedoed by U-47 and sunk; he died in the sinking 15

The Sandford Motto +

The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.

Motto: Nec temere nec timide
Motto Translation: Neither rashly nor timidly.

Citations +

The Norman People and Their Existing Descendants in the British Dominions and the United States Of America. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing, 1975. Print. (ISBN 0-8063-0636-X)
Shirley, Evelyn Philip, The Noble and Gentle Men of England; The Arms and Descents. Westminster: John Bower Nichols and Sons, 1866, Print.
Burke, John Bernard, The Roll of Battle Abbey. London: Edward Churton, 26, Holles Street, 1848, Print.
Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print
Smith, Eldson Coles, New Dictionary of American Family Names New York: Harper & Row, 1956. Print
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
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)
State Library of Queensland. (Retrieved 2016, October 27) Albion voyage to Van Diemen's Land, Australia in 1823 with 200 passengers. Retrieved from http://www.convictrecords.com.au/ships/albion/1823
State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) LORD GODERICH 1838. Retrieved from http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1838LordGoderich.htm
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 26th March 2019). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_West_Indies
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, October 8) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
Ships hit by U-boats crew list HMS Royal Oak (08) - (Retrieved 2018 February, 9th) - retrieved from https://uboat.net/allies/merchants/crews/ship68.html