The
Anglo-Saxon name Derwen comes from when the family resided beside the river Darwen or Derwent in
Lancashire. "Over and Lower Darwen are towns in the ancient parish of Blackburn,
Lancashire, so called because located on the small stream the Darwen, a variation of the common river name Derwent. "
[1]CITATION[CLOSE]
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
Early Origins of the Derwen family
The surname Derwen was first found in
Lancashire. The baptismal name Derewen was found in the
Domesday Book.
[2]CITATION[CLOSE]
Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8) One of the first listings of the family was found in
Oxfordshire in the
Hundredorum Rolls of 1273. Years later the
Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379 listed: Robertus Darwent and Henricus Darwent, walker.
[1]CITATION[CLOSE]
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6) "The family home of the Darwins in the 17th century was at Cleaton in Lincolnshire, and at Elston in Nottinghamshire. From this stock sprang, last century, the noted Derbyshire Darwins, to which branch Charles Darwin, the great naturalist, belonged. " [3]CITATION[CLOSE]
Guppy, Henry Brougham, Homes of Family Names in Great Britain. 1890. Print.
Robert Darwin of Elston (1682-1754) was an English physician who discovered the first remains of a Jurassic reptile in 1718 in a stone from a quarry at Fulbeck. He was the ancestor of the famed naturalist Charles Robert Darwin (1809-1882.)
Early History of the Derwen family
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Derwen research.
Another 159 words (11 lines of text) covering the years 1731, 1802, 1809 and 1882 are included under the topic Early Derwen History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Derwen Spelling Variations
The English language only became standardized in the last few centuries; therefore,
spelling variations are common among early
Anglo-Saxon names. As the form of the English language changed, even the spelling of literate people's names evolved. Derwen has been recorded under many different variations, including Darwin, Darwen, Derwent, Darwent and others.
Early Notables of the Derwen family (pre 1700)
More information is included under the topic Early Derwen Notables in all our
PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Migration of the Derwen family to the New World and Oceana
For many English families, the political and religious disarray that shrouded
England made the far away New World an attractive prospect. On cramped disease-ridden ships, thousands migrated to those British colonies that would eventually become Canada and the United States. Those hardy settlers that survived the journey often went on to make important contributions to the emerging nations in which they landed. Analysis of immigration records indicates that some of the first North American immigrants bore the name Derwen or a variant listed above: Peter Darwin who settled in Barnstable Massachusetts in 1822.
Derwen Family Crest Products
See Also
Citations
- ^ Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
- ^ Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
- ^ Guppy, Henry Brougham, Homes of Family Names in Great Britain. 1890. Print.