Show ContentsPuddington History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Puddington is one of the names that was brought to England in the wave of migration following the Norman Conquest of 1066. The Puddington family lived in Cheshire. Their name, however, is a reference to their place of residence prior to the Norman Conquest of England in 1066, Macey in Manche, Normandy. [1]

Early Origins of the Puddington family

The surname Puddington was first found in Cheshire where the one of the first records of the name was "Hugh Massie, who married Agnes, daughter and heir of Nicholas Bold, of Coddington. Their son William purchased the manor of Coddington in the eighteenth of Henry VI." [2]

A branch of the family held a family seat at Backford since early times. "During a great part of the 13th and 14th centuries, the manor [of Backford] was held by the Masseys, of Timperley; about the year 1580 it was sold to Thomas Aldersey." [3]

Birkenhead in Cheshire was another ancient family seat. "A priory for sixteen Benedictine monks was founded [in Birkenhead] about 1150, in honour of St. Mary and St. James, by Hamon de Massey, third Baron of Dunham-Massey." [3]

Little is known of Hamon de Massey other than he held manors of Agden, Baguley, Bowdon, Dunham, Hale and Little Bollington. He is thought to have born in La Ferté-Macé, in the Orne department in north-western France.

Early History of the Puddington family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Puddington research. Another 157 words (11 lines of text) covering the years 1557, 1602, 1619, 1646, 1651, 1674, 1691, 1715, 1719, 1757, 1758, 1763, 1764, 1784, 1797, 1799, 1804, 1822, 1839, 1869 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Puddington History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Puddington 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 Puddington family name include Massey, Massie, Macy, Macey and others.

Early Notables of the Puddington family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was Sir Edward Massey (c. 1619-1674), fifth son of John Massey of Coddington, an English soldier and politician who sat in the House of Commons between 1646 and 1674, he fought for the Parliamentary cause the First and Second English Civil Wars before changing allegiance and fighting for King Charles II during Third Civil War.Eyre Massey, 1st Baron Clarina (1719-1804), the Irish general, born on 24 May 1719, was fifth son of Colonel Hugh Massey of Duntryleague, co. Limerick, and his wife Elizabeth, fourth daughter of the Right Hon. George Evans, father of George...
Another 193 words (14 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Puddington Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Ireland Migration of the Puddington family to Ireland

Some of the Puddington family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 89 words (6 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.


United States Puddington migration to the United States +

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 Puddington family to immigrate North America:

Puddington Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
  • Comfort Puddington, who landed in Maryland in 1649 [4]
  • George Puddington, who arrived in Maryland in 1649 [4]
  • Jane Puddington, who landed in Maryland in 1649 [4]
  • Mary Puddington, who arrived in Maryland in 1649 [4]

Canada Puddington migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Puddington Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century
  • Mr. William Puddington U.E. who settled in Carleton [Saint John West], New Brunswick, Canada c. 1784 [5]


  1. 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)
  2. Shirley, Evelyn Philip, The Noble and Gentle Men of England; The Arms and Descents. Westminster: John Bower Nichols and Sons, 1866, Print.
  3. Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
  4. 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)
  5. Rubincam, Milton. The Old United Empire Loyalists List. Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc, 1976. (Originally published as; United Empire Loyalists. The Centennial of the Settlement of Upper Canada. Rose Publishing Company, 1885.) ISBN 0-8063-0331-X


Houseofnames.com on Facebook