Fleetwooold History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

The ancestors of the name Fleetwooold date back to the Anglo-Saxon tribes of Britain. The name is derived from when the Fleetwooold family lived near a creek, perhaps with a wood nearby. Fleet is derived from the Old English word fleot, for a rapidly rushing stream. The suffix "wood" was probably added to the name later. 1

Early Origins of the Fleetwooold family

The surname Fleetwooold was first found in Lincolnshire at Fleet, a parish, in the union of Holbeach, hundred of Elloe, parts of Holland. 2 There are other villages and parishes named Fleet in Dorset and Hampshire, but this parish is the oldest as it was listed as Fleot in the Domesday Book of 1086. 3

Fleet Street in London which is named after the River Fleet, London's largest underground river is probably the most famous use of the word "fleet." This street was the home of British national newspapers until the 1980s. Fleet Prison, built in 1197 was a notorious London prison adjacent to the River Fleet and was active until 1844 and later demolished in 1846.

As far as the surname is concerned, the first records were listed in Lincolnshire in the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273: John de Flete; Richard de Flet; and Laurence de Flete. 4

Early History of the Fleetwooold family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Fleetwooold research. Another 71 words (5 lines of text) covering the years 1421, 1465, 1648, 1688, 1689, 1692, 1700 and 1712 are included under the topic Early Fleetwooold History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Fleetwooold 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 Fleetwooold 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 Fleetwooold include: Fleet, Fleete, Flete and others.

Early Notables of the Fleetwooold family

Distinguished members of the family include John Flete (fl. 1421-1465), a Benedictine monk, prior of Westminster Abbey in the reign of Henry VI, and the author of a Latin chronicle of the early history of that foundation, entered the monastery of St. Peter's, Westminster, about 1421. 5 Sir John Fleet (1648-1712), the son of the innkeeper Richard...
Another 55 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Fleetwooold Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Fleetwooold 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 Fleetwooold or a variant listed above: Benjamin Fleet who settled in Virginia in 1774; Elizabeth Fleet settled in Maryland in 1742; Elizabeth Fleet settled in Montserrat in 1685; John Fleet settled in Virginia in 1652.

Citations +

Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print