Show ContentsOldroyd History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The Oldroyd name has descended through the generations from the ancient Anglo-Saxon culture. Their name comes from having lived as inhabitants inside a clearing in a wooded region. [1]

Early Origins of the Oldroyd family

The surname Oldroyd was first found in Sussex where Thomas and Andrew Holerode were listed in the Subsidy Rolls for 1296. Later, Gilbert de Holrode was listed in the same rolls, but for Suffolk in 1327. [1]

Early History of the Oldroyd family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Oldroyd research. Another 101 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1708, 1709, 1735, 1760, 1763, 1766, 1768, 1769, 1778, 1781, 1783 and 1821 are included under the topic Early Oldroyd History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Oldroyd Spelling Variations

Only recently has spelling become standardized in the English language. As the English language evolved in the Middle Ages, the spelling of names changed also. The name Oldroyd has undergone many spelling variations, including Holroyd, Hollroyd, Ollroyd, Olroyd, Oldroyd and others.

Early Notables of the Oldroyd family

Notables of this surname at this time include: John Baker Holroyd first Earl of Sheffield (1735-1821), English statesman, second son of Isaac Holroyd (1708-1778), the representative of an old West Riding family which had migrated to Ireland in the reign of Charles II and acquired large estates there. " He was born in 1735, entered the army in 1760; and became captain in...
Another 63 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Oldroyd Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Ireland Migration of the Oldroyd family to Ireland

Some of the Oldroyd family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 49 words (4 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.


United States Oldroyd migration to the United States +

To escape the unstable social climate in England of this time, many families boarded ships for the New World with the hope of finding land, opportunity, and greater religious and political freedom. Although the voyages were expensive, crowded, and difficult, those families that arrived often found greater opportunities and freedoms than they could have experienced at home. 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 Oldroyd were among those contributors:

Oldroyd Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • Charles Oldroyd, who arrived in Maryland in 1818 [2]
  • Joshua Oldroyd, who settled in New York State in 1855
  • Charles, Henry Thompson, and James Oldroyd, who settled in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania between 1834 and 1880

Australia Oldroyd migration to Australia +

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

Oldroyd Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
  • Mr. Samuel Oldroyd, English convict who was convicted in York, Yorkshire, England for life, transported aboard the "Eden" on 27th August 1836, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) [3]
  • John Oldroyd, aged 30, a labourer, who arrived in South Australia in 1849 aboard the ship "Ascendant" [4]

Contemporary Notables of the name Oldroyd (post 1700) +

  • Ida Shepard Oldroyd (1856-1940), née Shepard, American conchologist and Curator of Geology at Stanford University from Goshen, Indiana
  • George Oldroyd (b. 1970), American hero, Eagle Scout and one of the youngest Scoutmasters ever
  • Eleanor Oldroyd (b. 1962), English sports broadcaster with BBC Radio from Bury, Lancashire
  • George Oldroyd (1887-1956), English organist and composer of Anglican church music
  • Sir Mark Oldroyd (1843-1927), British woollen manufacturer and Liberal Party politician, Member of Parliament for Dewsbury (1888–1902)
  • James Gardner Oldroyd (1921-1982), British mathematician and noted rheologist who formulated the Oldroyd-B model to describe the viscoelastic behaviour of non-Newtonian fluids
  • Edgar Oldroyd (1888-1964), British cricketer from Healey, Batley, Yorkshire, who played for Yorkshire County Cricket Club between 1919 and 1931
  • Harold Oldroyd (1914-1978), British entomologist
  • John Oldroyd Forfar MC, FRSE (1916-2013), British pediatrician and academic, Professor of Child Life and Health at the University of Edinburgh from 1964 to 1982, President of the British Paediatric Association from 1985 to 1988


The Oldroyd 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: Quem te Deus esse jussit
Motto Translation: What God commands you to be.


  1. Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
  2. 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)
  3. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 20th October 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/eden
  4. State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) The ASCENDANT 1849. Retrieved from http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1849Ascendant.htm


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