Douthett History, Family Crest & Coats of ArmsThe ancestors of the bearers of the Douthett family name are thought have lived in ancient Anglo-Saxon England. They were first found in either Dowthwaite, in Cumberland or Dowthwaite Hall in the North Riding of Yorkshire. 1 2 The name literally means "a piece of ground cleared of wood, from the Anglo-Saxon thweotan, to cut." 3 4 Early Origins of the Douthett familyThe surname Douthett was first found in the Subsidy Rolls of Cumberland where John de Doventhuayt was recorded in 1332. Much later in Yorkshire, John Dowthwayt was recorded there at Whitby in 1540. 1 The Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379 included an entry for Robertas de Dowthwayt. 5 Early History of the Douthett familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Douthett research. Another 116 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1572, 1662, 1667, 1714 and 1733 are included under the topic Early Douthett History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Douthett Spelling VariationsUntil quite recently, the English language has lacked a definite system of spelling rules. Consequently, Anglo-Saxon surnames are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. Changes in Anglo-Saxon names were influenced by the evolution of the English language, as it incorporated elements of French, Latin, and other languages. Although Medieval scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded, so it is common to find one person referred to by several different spellings of his surname, even the most literate people varied the spelling of their own names. Variations of the name Douthett include Douthwaite, Douthert, Douthet, Douthat, Douthit, Douthirt, Douthwrait, Dowthwaite, Dowthert, Dowthet, Dowthirt and many more. Early Notables of the Douthett familyMore information is included under the topic Early Douthett Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Migration of the Douthett familySearching for a better life, many English families migrated to British colonies. Unfortunately, the majority of them traveled under extremely harsh conditions: overcrowding on the ships caused the majority of the immigrants to arrive diseased, famished, and destitute from the long journey across the ocean. For those families that arrived safely, modest prosperity was attainable, and many went on to make invaluable contributions to the development of the cultures of the new colonies. Research into the origins of individual families in North America revealed records of the immigration of a number of people bearing the name Douthett or a variant listed above: Abraham Dowthwaite who settled in Charles Town [Charleston], South Carolina in 1796 with his brother Robert; William Douthwaite arrived in Philadelphia in 1803.
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