Blakewood History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Scotland
Ireland

Blakewood was first used as a surname in the Scottish/English Borderlands by the Strathclyde-Briton. The first Blakewood family lived in Ayrshire, but interestingly, the name Blakewood may also be derived from the Old English words blaec, which means black, and wudu, which means wood, and indicates that the original bearer lived near a dark, wooded area.

Early Origins of the Blakewood family

The surname Blakewood was first found in Ayrshire (Gaelic: Siorrachd Inbhir Àir), formerly a county in the southwestern Strathclyde region of Scotland, that today makes up the Council Areas of South, East, and North Ayrshire, where they held a family seat from ancient times.

One of the first records of the family was of Robert Blakwode, a native of Scotland, who was discharged from prison in London as he was unjustly arrested in 1384. Later, Andrew Blackwud, was bailie of Perth in 1532 and Adam Blackwood was one of the Privy Council of Mary Queen of Scots. 1

Early History of the Blakewood family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Blakewood research. Another 196 words (14 lines of text) covering the years 1327, 1500, 1539, 1549, 1581, 1613, 1614, 1797 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Blakewood History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Blakewood Spelling Variations

Medieval Scottish names are rife with spelling variations. This is due to the fact that scribes in that era spelled according to the sound of words, rather than any set of rules. Blakewood has been spelled Blackwood, Blackwode, Blakewood, Blaikwood, Blackewood and many more.

Early Notables of the Blakewood family

Notable amongst the family at this time was Adam Blackwood (1539-1613), Scottish writer having descended from a family in good circumstances, and was born at Dunfermline in 1539. "His father, William Blackwood, was slain in battle before the son reached his tenth year, and his mother did not long survive the loss of her...
Another 53 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Blakewood Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Blakewood family to Ireland

Some of the Blakewood family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 80 words (6 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Blakewood migration to the United States +

Many Scots were left with few options other than to leave their homeland for the colonies across the Atlantic. Some of these families fought to defend their newfound freedom in the American War of Independence. Others went north to Canada as United Empire Loyalists. The ancestors of all of these families have recently been able to rediscover their roots through Clan societies and other Scottish organizations. Among them:

Blakewood Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Andrew Blakewood, aged 37, who landed in New York in 1812 2

The Blakewood 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: Per vias rectas
Motto Translation: By right ways.

Citations +

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)
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)