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Witts History Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables

Contemporary Notables Historic Events Related Stories Citations

Witts History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Netherlands
England

Early Origins of the Witts family

The surname Witts was first found in Lincolnshire, where they held a family seat from very ancient times, before and after the Norman Conquest of 1066. The Domesday Book of 1086 has entries for Alwin Albus, otherwise Wit and the name is also spelt Uuit and Uite. 1 2 3

The name is thought to have been an "Anglo-Saxon personal name Wit(t)a-Wise Man, Councillor [Old English wita, sage, &c.] Witta was an early descendant of Woden and ancestor of the Kentish kings." 4 Witta is believed to have been a medieval Bishop of Lichfield. He was consecrated in 737 and died between 749 and 757.

Early History of the Witts family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Witts research. Another 102 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1296, 1364 and 1778 are included under the topic Early Witts History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Witts Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Wytt, Witt, Witts, Wyght, Wythe, Wicht and others.

Early Notables of the Witts family

More information is included under the topic Early Witts Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Witts migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Witts Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

William Witts, who landed in Virginia in 1656 5
Tho Witts, who landed in Virginia in 1699 5

Witts Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Thomas Witts, who arrived in Virginia in 1703 5

Witts Settlers in United States in the 20th Century

Edwin William Witts, aged 24, who settled in America from London, England, in 1909
Florence Emily Witts, aged 24, who landed in America from London, England, in 1909
John Witts, aged 27, who landed in America from Kingston, England, in 1910
Alfred James Witts, aged 18, who landed in America from Highgate, England, in 1911
Alice Witts, aged 22, who immigrated to the United States from Westerham, England, in 1912
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Witts migration to Australia +

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

Witts Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Mr. Nathaniel Witts, (b. 1808), aged 22, English joiner who was convicted in Gloucestershire, England for 14 years for house breaking, transported aboard the "Florentia" on 11th August 1830, arriving in New South Wales, Australia, he died in 1846 6
Mr. Edward Witts, (b. 1820), aged 24, Cornish labourer travelling aboard the ship "Sea Queen" arriving in Port Phillip, New South Wales, Australia on 15th April 1844 7
Mrs. Elizabeth Witts, (b. 1817), aged 27, Cornish settler travelling aboard the ship "Sea Queen" arriving in Port Phillip, New South Wales, Australia on 15th April 1844 7
Mr. John Witts, (b. 1841), aged 3, Cornish settler travelling aboard the ship "Sea Queen" arriving in Port Phillip, New South Wales, Australia on 15th April 1844 7
Miss Mary Witts, (b. 1837), aged 7, Cornish settler travelling aboard the ship "Sea Queen" arriving in Port Phillip, New South Wales, Australia on 15th April 1844 7

Witts 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:

Witts Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Mr. Jacob Witts, (b. 1840), aged 23, British farm servant travelling from London aboard the ship 'Mermaid' arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 16th February 1864 8
Mrs. Mary Anne Witts, (b. 1841), aged 22, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship 'Mermaid' arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 16th February 1864 8
Joseph Witts, aged 30, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Jessie Readman" in 1872 8
Mr. Joseph Witts, (b. 1842), aged 30, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Jessie Readman" arriving in Wellington, New Zealand on 14th December 1872 8

Contemporary Notables of the name Witts (post 1700) +

Mrs. S. N. Witts, American Republican politician, Alternate Delegate to Republican National Convention from Minnesota, 1940
Richard "Dick" Witts, English professional musicologist, music historian, and ex leader of 1980s band The Passage
Max Morgan- Witts, Canadian-born, British producer, director and author

Historic Events for the Witts family +

HMS Prince of Wales

Mr. George B Witts, British Reg Petty Officer, who sailed into battle on the HMS Prince of Wales (1941) and survived the sinking 9

Citations +

Charnock, Richard, Stephen, Ludus Patronymicus of The Etymology of Curious Surnames. London: Trubner & Co., 60 Paternoster Row, 1868. Print.
Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
Harrison, Henry, Surnames of the United Kingdom: A Concise Etymological Dictionary Baltimore: Geneological Publishing Company, 2013. 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 11th October 2022). https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/florentia
Cornwall Online Parish Clerks. (Retrieved 2018, May 30). Ships' Passenger Lists of Arrivals in New South Wales on (1828 - 1842, 1848 - 1849) [PDF]. Retrieved from http://www.opc-cornwall.org/Resc/pdfs/emigration_nsw_1838_on.pdf
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 17th October 2018). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
HMS Prince of Wales Crew members. (Retrieved 2014, April 9) . Retrieved from http://www.forcez-survivors.org.uk/biographies/listprincecrew.html