Claredge History, Family Crest & Coats of ArmsThe earliest origins of the name Claredge date back to the time of the Anglo-Saxons. The name is derived from the given name Clarice, a very popular personal name during the Middle Ages. 1 This name is of metronymic origin. In this case the original bearer of the surname was the mother, whose children were named after her first name. The name may also have originally been from Normandy as the Magni Rotuli Scaccarii Normanniae lists Muriel de la Clergesse, Normandy, 1198. 2 Early Origins of the Claredge familyThe surname Claredge was first found in Cambridgeshire where the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 has two entries for the same individual with two different spellings: Henry serviens Claricie, Cambridgeshire; and Henry serviens Clarugge, Cambridgeshire. 1 Early History of the Claredge familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Claredge research. Another 38 words (3 lines of text) covering the years 1618, 1653, 1656, 1660, 1695, 1705, 1728 and 1780 are included under the topic Early Claredge History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Claredge 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 Claredge include Claridge, Clarridge, Clarges, Clargeis, Claredge, Clarredge, Claradge, Clarradge, Claridges, Clarridges, Claredges and many more. Early Notables of the Claredge familyDistinguished members of the family include Sir Thomas Clarges (c 1618-1695), an English politician, Member of Parliament for the Sheriffdoms of Ross, Sutherland, and Cromarty in 1656, Member of Parliament for Westminster in 1660, he was a important messenger between Richard Cromwell and Charles II. George Monck, 1st Duke of Albemarle noted in his letter to Charles II telling him that "he chose to send Mr. Clarges to... Migration of the Claredge family to IrelandSome of the Claredge family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt. Migration of the Claredge 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 Claredge or a variant listed above: Esther Claridge who settled in Philadelphia in 1820; with James, Joseph, Phillip, and Samuel; Samuel Claradge settled in Pennsylvania in 1682.
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