Doddsword History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

The ancestors of the name Doddsword date back to the Anglo-Saxon tribes of Britain. The name is derived from when the Doddsword family lived in the township of Dodworth, in the parish of Silkstone in Yorkshire.

Early Origins of the Doddsword family

The surname Doddsword was first found in the historic West Riding of Yorkshire at Dodworth, a township, in the parish of Silkstone, wapentake of Staincross. 1

Today Dodworth is South Yorkshire and is a village in the metropolitan borough of Barnsley. The Domesday Book of 1086 lists the place name as Dodesuu(o)rde and literally meant "enclosure of a man called Dod(d) or Dod(d)a," from the Old English personal name + "worth." 2

The first record of the family was Lefode de Dodesuurda who was listed in the Inquisitio Eliensis (included in the Domesday Book as lands of Ely Abbey) in 1086.

Years later, Adam de Dodworth was listed in the Feet of Fines of Yorkshire in 1375. 3 The Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379 list: Walterus de Dodworth; and Willelmus de Dodword. 4

Early History of the Doddsword family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Doddsword research. Another 66 words (5 lines of text) covering the years 1544, 1585, 1593, 1599, 1629, 1631, 1654 and 1660 are included under the topic Early Doddsword History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Doddsword Spelling Variations

It is only in the last few hundred years that the English language has been standardized. For that reason, early Anglo-Saxon surnames like Doddsword are characterized by many spelling variations. As the English language changed and incorporated elements of other European languages, even literate people changed the spelling of their names. The variations of the name Doddsword include: Dodsworth, Dodworth and others.

Early Notables of the Doddsword family

Notables of the family at this time include Matthew Dodsworth (c.1544-1631), an English judge and sometime before 1593, appointed as Judge of the Admiralty Court in England's Northern Counties. Roger Dodsworth (1585-1654), was an English antiquary and son of Matthew Dodsworth, registrar of York Cathedral, was born at Newton Grange, Oswaldkirk, Yorkshire, in the house of his maternal grandfather, Ralph Sandwith. "The date, according to his own account, was 24 July...
Another 70 words (5 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Doddsword Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Doddsword family

Many English families tired of political and religious strife left Britain for the new colonies in North America. Although the trip itself offered no relief - conditions on the ships were extremely cramped, and many travelers arrived diseased, starving, and destitute - these immigrants believed the opportunities that awaited them were worth the risks. Once in the colonies, many of the families did indeed prosper and, in turn, made significant contributions to the culture and economies of the growing colonies. An inquiry into the early roots of North American families has revealed a number of immigrants bearing the name Doddsword or a variant listed above: James Dodsworth who settled in Barbados in 1671; another James Dodsworth settled in Maryland in 1775; M. Dodsworth arrived in San Francisco in 1852.

The Doddsword 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: Pro lege senatuque rege
Motto Translation: For King and the law

Citations +

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)
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)