Digsby History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland
Scotland

The Anglo-Saxon name Digsby comes from the family having resided at a local where someone lived by a dike or ditch.

The family are "from Digby, a town in the county of Lincoln, England, so named from the Danish Dige, a dike, ditch, or trench, and by, a town—the town by the dike." 1

Of particular note today is Coleshill, Warwickshire, the home to Sir Robert Digby (1574-1618.) In 2021, his estate named Coleshill Manor is an archaeological site undertaken by Wessex Archaeology for LM which has revealed "one of the best preserved late 16th century gardens ever discovered in this country." (HS2.org)

Early Origins of the Digsby family

The surname Digsby was first found in Lincolnshire where the family can be "traced nearly to the Conquest, and supposed to be of Saxon origin." 2 The name is actually derived from "Digby, in Lincolnshire where Aelmar, the first recorded ancestor of the Digbys, held lands in 1086." 2

This area continued for two centuries as a stronghold of the family as seen in the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 which listed Alice de Digpeby as holding lands there at that time. 3

"The noble family are of great antiquity in co. Warwick." 4 So as to underscore this point, we found Simon Digby listed in the Feet of Fines for Warwickshire in 1497. 5

Early History of the Digsby family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Digsby research. Another 88 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1461, 1578, 1580, 1590, 1592, 1603, 1605, 1606, 1612, 1618, 1640, 1642, 1653, 1657, 1658, 1664, 1665, 1677, 1679, 1685, 1686, 1691 and 1720 are included under the topic Early Digsby History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Digsby Spelling Variations

Digsby has been spelled many different ways. Before English spelling became standardized over the last few hundred years, spelling variations in names were a common occurrence. As the English language changed in the Middle Ages, absorbing pieces of Latin and French, as well as other languages, the spelling of people's names also changed considerably, even over a single lifetime. Spelling variants included: Digby, Digbie and others.

Early Notables of the Digsby family

Notables of the family at this time include Sir Everard Digby (1578-1606), conspirator involved in the abortive 1605 Gunpowder Plot to assassinate King James I of England and VI of Scotland and Members of the Parliament of England. He was found guilty and unremorseful, and executed as a traitor. Despite his father's actions, his son Sir Kenelm Digby (1603-1665), became an English courtier and diplomat. He was also a highly reputed natural philosopher, and known as a leading Roman Catholic intellectual and Blackloist. Other notables include: John Digby...
Another 87 words (6 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Digsby Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Digsby family to Ireland

Some of the Digsby family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 39 words (3 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Digsby family

In an attempt to escape the chaos experienced in England, many English families boarded overcrowded and diseased ships sailing for the shores of North America and other British colonies. Those families hardy enough, and lucky enough, to make the passage intact were rewarded with land and a social environment less prone to religious and political persecution. Many of these families became important contributors to the young colonies in which they settled. Early immigration and passenger lists have documented some of the first Digsbys to arrive on North American shores: Charles Digby who settled in Montserrat in 1663; Edward Digby was one of the original settlers in Maine in 1607; John Digby settled in Jamaica in 1661.

The Digsby 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: Deo non fortuna
Motto Translation: Through God not by chance.

Citations +

Arthur, William , An Etymological Dictionary of Family and Christian Names. London: 1857. Print
Shirley, Evelyn Philip, The Noble and Gentle Men of England; The Arms and Descents. Westminster: John Bower Nichols and Sons, 1866, 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)
Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)