Cadbury History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

The Norman Conquest of England in 1066 added many new elements to an already vibrant culture. Among these were thousands of new names. The Cadbury family lived at Cadbury in Devon or Somerset. "There are ancient entrenchments called 'Cadbury Castle' at both the Devonshire and Somersetshire Cadburys." 1

Early Origins of the Cadbury family

The surname Cadbury was first found in Cadbury, a parish, in the union of Tiverton, hundred of Hayridge in Devon. "On the summit of a high hill called Cadbury Castle, is an inclosure nearly circular, consisting of a single vallum and fosse, supposed to be either of British or of Roman origin; near it some Roman coins were found in 1827." 2

Alternatively, the name could have originated in Somerset at either North Cadbury or South Cadbury. "Near the village are the remains of one of the most famous ancient fortifications in England: it was situated on the northern extremity of a ridge of hills, and was encircled by four trenches. Numerous Roman coins have been discovered; and the origin of the place may, with much probability, be ascribed to that people." 2

Literally the place name Cadbury means "fortified place or stronghold of a man called Cada." 3 The Somerset parish dates back to Saxon times when it was first listed as Cadanbyrig c. 1000. By the time of the Domesday Book in 1086, the was known as Cadeberie. 4 Hence, the family surname, is conjecturally descended William de Poilley, who would have adopted the name de Cadbury or Cadbury.

Richard Tapper Cadbury (1768-1860), a native of Exeter moved to Birmingham in 1794 where he and Joseph Rutte started a tea and coffee business. Richard's son, John Cadbury (1801-1889) took over the business and was the founder of Cadbury, the chocolate business based in Birmingham.

Early History of the Cadbury family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Cadbury research. Another 221 words (16 lines of text) covering the years 1086, 1319, 1500, 1524, 1627, 1642, 1704 and 1808 are included under the topic Early Cadbury History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Cadbury Spelling Variations

Norman surnames are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. The frequent changes in surnames are largely due to the fact that the Old and Middle English languages lacked definite spelling rules. The introduction of Norman French to England, as well as the official court languages of Latin and French, also had pronounced influences on the spelling of surnames. Since medieval scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded, rather than adhering to any specific spelling rules, it was common to find the same individual referred to with different spellings. The name has been spelled Cadbury, Cabbury, Cadbery, CadBerry, Cadburie, Cadebury and many more.

Early Notables of the Cadbury family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was

Walter de Cadbury, a prominent 14th century property owner in London

Cadbury migration to the United States +

Many English families emigrated to North American colonies in order to escape the political chaos in Britain at this time. Unfortunately, many English families made the trip to the New World 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 stormy Atlantic. Despite these hardships, many of the families prospered and went on to make invaluable contributions to the development of the cultures of the United States and Canada. Early North American immigration records have revealed a number of people bearing the name Cadbury or a variant listed above:

Cadbury Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Bryan Cadbury, who arrived in Virginia in 1699 5

Cadbury Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Anne Cadbury, who landed in Carolina in 1724 5

Cadbury Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Joel Cadbury who arrived in New York State in 1853

Contemporary Notables of the name Cadbury (post 1700) +

Henry Joel Cadbury (1883-1974), American Quaker scholar
George Cadbury (1839-1922), English third son of John Cadbury
William Adlington Cadbury (1867-1957), English businessman at Cadbury's, he commissioned the first Cadbury logo in 1905 based on his signature
Barrow Cadbury (1862-1958), English managing director of Cadbury's, founder of the Barrow Cadbury Trust
Richard Barrow Cadbury (1835-1899), English second son of the Quaker John Cadbury, founder of Cadbury's
Richard Tapper Cadbury (1768-1860), English merchant in a linen draper's business, father of John Cadbury
John Cadbury (1801-1889), English founder of Cadbury-Schweppes, one of the world's largest chocolate producers
George Cadbury (1839-1922), Quaker businessman
Sir Egbert Cadbury, First World War ace who went on to become managing director of Cadbury Bros
Edward Cadbury (1873-1948), British chairman of Cadbury Brothers, founder of the Edward Cadbury Charitable Trust
... (Another 1 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Citations +

Harrison, Henry, Surnames of the United Kingdom: A Concise Etymological Dictionary Baltimore: Geneological Publishing Company, 2013. Print
Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
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)