Woodfork History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland
Scotland

The name Woodfork reached English shores for the first time with the ancestors of the Woodfork family as they migrated following the Norman Conquest of 1066. The Woodfork family lived in Leicestershire, at Woodford which was in turn derived from the words wood and ford, and refers to a residence near both a ford and a wood. 1

"The Middle English form was usually Wodeford, as in the case of the Wiltshire and Somerset places. The Anglo-Saxon form was Wudaforda, as in a Hampshire charter dated A.D. 701. " 2

Early Origins of the Woodfork family

The surname Woodfork was first found in Leicestershire, but there is also a parish in Wiltshire, four miles from Salisbury and a parish in Essex, eight miles from London. 3

The Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 showed scattered listings for the family: Geoffrey de Wodeford, Wiltshire; Symon Wodeford, Buckinghamshire; and Nicholas de Wodeford, Gloucestershire. 3

Kirby's Quest listed "Geoffrey de Wodeford, Somerset, 1 Edward I [(during the first year's reign of King Edward I)]" 4

William of Woodford or Wydford (fl. 1380-1411), was "a Franciscan and was educated at Oxford, where he graduated D.D. There is little doubt that Woodford is the William de Wydford whom Margaret, countess of Norfolk, described in 1384 as her 'well-beloved father in God,' and for the term of whose life she granted the minoresses of Aldgate. " 5

Scotland is of note too as the name was derived "from the lands of the same name in the parish of St. Boswells, Roxburghshire. Jordan de Wodford witnessed a charter of Walter de Berkeley, c. 1170, and Walterus de Wudeford witnessed a confirmation charter by Alexander II in Peebles, 1228. Robert de Wodforde sometime between 1285 and 1306 bestowed his whole property of Wodfordehous in the territory of Lessedewyne upon the monks of Melrose. " 6

Early History of the Woodfork family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Woodfork research. Another 173 words (12 lines of text) covering the years 1226, 1330, 1333, 1338, 1354, 1358, 1636, 1676, 1680 and 1700 are included under the topic Early Woodfork History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Woodfork Spelling Variations

Before the advent of the printing press and the first dictionaries, the English language was not standardized. Sound was what guided spelling in the Middle Ages, so one person's name was often recorded under several variations during a single lifetime. Spelling variations were common, even among the names of the most literate people. Known variations of the Woodfork family name include Woodford, Woodforde, Woodfort, Wudeford, Wudefort, Woodforte, Wuidford, Wuidfort, Wodefort, Wodeford, Woodfurt, Woodfurte, Woodferte, Woodferd, Wyfordby, Wydford, Wyford, Wyfort and many more.

Early Notables of the Woodfork family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was Samuel Woodford (1636-1700), English divine and poet, born on 15 April 1636 in the parish of All Hallows in the Wall, London. He was the eldest...
Another 33 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Woodfork Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Woodfork family to Ireland

Some of the Woodfork 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.

Migration of the Woodfork family

To escape the political and religious chaos of this era, thousands of English families began to migrate to the New World in search of land and freedom from religious and political persecution. The passage was expensive and the ships were dark, crowded, and unsafe; however, those who made the voyage safely were encountered opportunities that were not available to them in their homeland. Many of the families that reached the New World at this time went on to make important contributions to the emerging nations of the United States and Canada. Research into various historical records has revealed some of first members of the Woodfork family to immigrate North America: Richard Woodford and Roger arrived in Virginia in 1651; Thomas Woodford arrived in Massachusetts in 1632; Thomas Woodford arrived in Plymouth, Massachusetts from Lincolnshire in 1631.

The Woodfork 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: Pro aris et focis
Motto Translation: For our altars and our home.

Citations +

Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
Harrison, Henry, Surnames of the United Kingdom: A Concise Etymological Dictionary Baltimore: Geneological Publishing Company, 2013. 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)
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.
Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print
Black, George F., The Surnames of Scotland Their Origin, Meaning and History. New York: New York Public Library, 1946. Print. (ISBN 0-87104-172-3)