Couledge History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Scotland

The history of the Couledge family goes back to the ancient Anglo-Saxon culture of Britain. It is derived from the family living in Coldridge, in Devon. Alternatively, the family dould have originated in Colwich, a parish, in the S. division of the hundred of Pirehill, union, and N. division of the county of Staffordshire. 1

"A writer in West Scotland said there was a family or families named Colledge resident for many generations at Hawick, Darnick, near Melrose, and Lauder; in Edinburgh for over 200 years and also in Glasgow." 2

Early Origins of the Couledge family

The surname Couledge was first found in Nottinghamshire, where Brian de Colewich was registered in 1210. 3

The family were more often than not in "the west of England any court or group of cottages having a common entrance from the street is called a college, and residence at such a place. probably originated the name." 4

Records of the family are very scarce. The Wills at Chester list John Colledge, of Colne, dotkworker, 1639. 5

Early History of the Couledge family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Couledge research. Another 63 words (4 lines of text) covering the years 1578, 1635, 1639, 1670 and 1681 are included under the topic Early Couledge History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Couledge Spelling Variations

Until 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 Couledge include Colledge, College, Collage, Gollege, Golledge, Callage, Calledge, Gollidge, Collige, Collidge and many more.

Early Notables of the Couledge family

Another 44 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Couledge Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Couledge family

Searching 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 Couledge or a variant listed above: George Colledge who arrived in Virginia in 1637.

Citations +

Barber, Henry, British Family Names London: Elliot Stock, 62 Paternoster Row, 1894. Print.
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)
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)