Show ContentsEdridge History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Edridge is an ancient name dating from the times of the Anglo-Saxon tribes of Britain. It was a name for a person who was a person who was known among other folk as rich and affluent. The surname Edridge originally derived from the Old English word Eadric which referred to wealth and power. This surname comes from a broad and miscellaneous class of surnames.

Edric or Eadric Streona (died 1017) was Ealdorman of the Mercians. He was "perhaps the Eadric whom Archbishop Oswald describes as his thegn in a charter of 988, and to whom he grants land belonging to the church of Worcester. The name Streona is usually held to be a nickname derived from Eadric's greediness after wealth, and to signify the 'Gainer' or 'Grasper.' " 1

His brother Edric or Eadric (fl. 1067) called the Wild was a powerful thegn, who in the time of Eadward the Confessor held lands in Herefordshire and Shropshire. 1

Early Origins of the Edridge family

The surname Edridge was first found in Wiltshire where they held a family seat from very ancient times, some say well before the Norman Conquest and the arrival of Duke William at Hastings in 1066 A.D.

Early History of the Edridge family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Edridge research. Another 79 words (6 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Edridge History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Edridge Spelling Variations

Until the dictionary, an invention of only the last few hundred years, the English language lacked any comprehensive system of spelling rules. Consequently, spelling variations in names are frequently found in early Anglo-Saxon and later Anglo-Norman documents. One person's name was often spelled several different ways over a lifetime. The recorded variations of Edridge include Edridge, Edrick and others.

Early Notables of the Edridge family

More information is included under the topic Early Edridge Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.


United States Edridge migration to the United States +

Thousands of English families boarded ships sailing to the New World in the hope of escaping the unrest found in England at this time. Although the search for opportunity and freedom from persecution abroad took the lives of many because of the cramped conditions and unsanitary nature of the vessels, the opportunity perceived in the growing colonies of North America beckoned. Many of the settlers who survived the journey went on to make important contributions to the transplanted cultures of their adopted countries. The Edridge were among these contributors, for they have been located in early North American records:

Edridge Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
  • John Edridge and his wife Elizabeth who arrived in west New Jersey in 1664
  • Mary Edridge, who arrived in Virginia in 1666 2
  • John Edridge, who landed in New Jersey in 1677 2

Australia Edridge migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Edridge Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
  • Richard Edridge, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Glen Huntley" in 1849 3

New Zealand Edridge migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Edridge Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century
  • Mr. Edridge, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Mallowdale" arriving in Port Chalmers, Dunedin, Otago, South Island, New Zealand on 9th March 1875 4

Contemporary Notables of the name Edridge (post 1700) +

  • Henry Edridge (1769-1821), English painter, born at Paddington in August 1769, son of a tradesman in St. James's, Westminster 5


  1. Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print
  2. Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
  3. State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) The GLEN HUNTLEY 1849. Retrieved from http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1849GlenHuntly.htm
  4. New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 17th October 2018). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
  5. Wikisource contributors. "Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900." Wikisource . Wikisource , 4 Jun. 2018. Web. 30 June 2020


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