Dodswithay History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

Of all the Anglo-Saxon names to come from Britain, Dodswithay is one of the most ancient. The name is a result of the original family having lived in the township of Dodworth, in the parish of Silkstone in Yorkshire.

Early Origins of the Dodswithay family

The surname Dodswithay 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 Dodswithay family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Dodswithay 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 Dodswithay History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Dodswithay Spelling Variations

The first dictionaries that appeared in the last few hundred years did much to standardize the English language. Before that time, spelling variations in names were a common occurrence. The language was changing, incorporating pieces of other languages, and the spelling of names changed with it. Dodswithay has been spelled many different ways, including Dodsworth, Dodworth and others.

Early Notables of the Dodswithay 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 Dodswithay Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Dodswithay family

Thousands of English families in this era began to emigrate the New World in search of land and freedom from religious and political persecution. Although the passage was expensive and the ships were dark, crowded, and unsafe, those who made the voyage safely were rewarded with opportunities unavailable to them in their homeland. Research into passenger and immigration lists has revealed some of the very first Dodswithays to arrive in North America: 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 Dodswithay 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)