Fitzwaryn History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

Early Origins of the Fitzwaryn family

The surname Fitzwaryn was first found in Yorkshire where the original scion of the Fitzwarren name is somewhat of a mystery. It has been established that there was a FitzWarren at the Battle of Hastings by both Duchesne and Hollinshed. William de Warren whose father had been Ralph de Warren of St.Aubin le Cauf in Normandy, the father of FitzWarren was a powerful Norman Baron and was also present at Hastings and was granted many lordships, principally in Yorkshire. 1

It was Norman custom to disallow the use of the father's surname whilst he was still alive, hence his son must have been FitzWarren. When William de Warren died he was succeeded by William de Warren II (previously FitzWarren). William de Warren II then became Earl of Warren and Surrey and married Elizabeth (daughter of the great Earl of Vermandois. However, it must be presumed to be a second marriage and that under his previous name FitzWarren he had progeny which would initiate the name FitzWarren who would become the Baron FitzWarren who would attend Parliament in 1295 and who held estates in Dorset, Somerset, Lancaster, and Whittington, Salop.

Some of the family held estates at Wantage in Berkshire since ancient times. "This town is celebrated as the birthplace, in 849, of Alfred the Great, and as a royal residence in the time of the West Saxons. It was made a borough after the Conquest, through the influence of Fulk Fitz-Warren, who had obtained a grant of the manor from Bigod, earl-marshal of England." 2

Continuing the search in Berkshire, early records of the family were found in the parish of Lambourn. "This place formed part of the dower of Ealswitha, queen of Alfred the Great, and continued in royal demesne under Edward the Confessor; after the Conquest it was given to the baronial family of Fitzwarren, at whose instance a market and three fairs were granted to it by Henry III." 2

Interestingly, in Chittlehampton, Devon, where one branch descends through the Cobleigh family. "They succeeded by marriage a younger branch of the Fitzwarrens, who had taken the name of Brightley from their estate ; and this was brought by the heiress of the Cobleighs to a younger branch of the Giffards of Halsbury, who held it for several descents. " 3

Early History of the Fitzwaryn family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Fitzwaryn research. Another 121 words (9 lines of text) covering the years 1306, 1348, 1510, 1535 and 1600 are included under the topic Early Fitzwaryn History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Fitzwaryn Spelling Variations

Anglo-Norman names tend to be marked by an enormous number of spelling variations. This is largely due to the fact that Old and Middle English lacked any spelling rules when Norman French was introduced in the 11th century. The languages of the English courts at that time were French and Latin. These various languages mixed quite freely in the evolving social milieu. The final element of this mix is that medieval scribes spelled words according to their sounds rather than any definite rules, so a name was often spelled in as many different ways as the number of documents it appeared in. The name was spelled FitzWarren, Fitzwaren, Fitzwarrine, Fitzwarine, Fitzwarin and many more.

Early Notables of the Fitzwaryn family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was the Fitzwarren family of Derbyshire. Sir Fulk FitxWarine was knighted by King Edward I in 1306. Sir William was one of the founders of...
Another 32 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Fitzwaryn Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Fitzwaryn family

Because of the political and religious discontent in England, families began to migrate abroad in enormous numbers. Faced with persecution and starvation at home, the open frontiers and generally less oppressive social environment of the New World seemed tantalizing indeed to many English people. The trip was difficult, and not all made it unscathed, but many of those who did get to Canada and the United States made important contributions to the young nations in which they settled. Some of the first North American settlers with Fitzwaryn name or one of its variants: bearers of the name who arrived beginning in the mid 17th century in the great migration from Europe. Migrants settled in the eastern seaboard from Newfoundland, to Maine, to Virginia, the Carolinas, and to the islands..

Citations +

The Norman People and Their Existing Descendants in the British Dominions and the United States Of America. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing, 1975. Print. (ISBN 0-8063-0636-X)
Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
Worth, R.N., A History of Devonshire London: Elliot Stock, 62, Paternoster Row, E.G., 1895. Digital