Show ContentsForsdyke History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Early Origins of the Forsdyke family

The surname Forsdyke was first found in Lincolnshire where they held a family seat as Lords of the Manor. The Saxon influence of English history diminished after the Battle of Hastings in 1066. The language of the courts was French for the next three centuries and the Norman ambience prevailed. But Saxon surnames survived and the family name was first referenced in the year 1202 when Walter de Fosdik held estates in that shire.

Early History of the Forsdyke family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Forsdyke research. Another 105 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1327, 1455, 1487 and 1524 are included under the topic Early Forsdyke History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Forsdyke Spelling Variations

Sound was what guided spelling in the essentially pre-literate Middle Ages, so one person's name was often recorded under several variations during a single lifetime. Also, before the advent of the printing press and the first dictionaries, the English language was not standardized. Therefore, spelling variations were common, even among the names of the most literate people. Known variations of the Forsdyke family name include Fosdick, Fosdike, Fossdick, Forsdick, Fossdike, Fosdyke, Forsdyke, Fozdick and many more.

Early Notables of the Forsdyke family

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


United States Forsdyke migration to the United States +

For political, religious, and economic reasons, thousands of English families boarded ships for Ireland, Canada, the America colonies, and many of smaller tropical colonies in the hope of finding better lives abroad. Although the passage on the cramped, dank ships caused many to arrive in the New World diseased and starving, those families that survived the trip often went on to make valuable contributions to those new societies to which they arrived. Early immigrants bearing the Forsdyke surname or a spelling variation of the name include:

Forsdyke Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • D. Forsdyke, aged 29, who immigrated to the United States, in 1892
  • Mrs. D. Forsdyke, who landed in America, in 1892
Forsdyke Settlers in United States in the 20th Century
  • Frank G. Forsdyke, aged 23, who settled in America, in 1923
  • George Forsdyke, aged 24, who immigrated to the United States, in 1923

Contemporary Notables of the name Forsdyke (post 1700) +

  • Sir "Edgar" John Forsdyke KCB (1883-1979), English Director and Principal Librarian of the British Museum from 1936 to 1950


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