Hedcliffe History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

Early Origins of the Hedcliffe family

The surname Hedcliffe was first found in Lincolnshire at Hatcliffe, a parish, in the union of Caistor, 7½ miles south west from Grimsby; containing, with the hamlet of Gonerby.

"This place was formerly the residence of the family of De Hatcliffe, who at one time represented the borough of Grimsby in parliament; their mansion was of considerable extent, and some remains of it are still traceable. The church, an ancient edifice with a tower, consists of a nave and chancel, in which latter are some monuments, apparently to members of the family of Hatcliffe. " 1

The Domesday Book lists the name as Hadeclive and at that time was lands held by Count Alan of Brittany. 2

One of the first records of the family was William de Hadediue who was listed in the Pipe Rolls of Lincolnshire in 1204. Later Peter de Hadcliff was recorded in 1312. 3

The Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379 included: Adam de Hertcliffe from Bradfield in the West Riding Of Yorkshire; and Thomas de Hartclyffe of Kimberworth. 4

Early History of the Hedcliffe family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Hedcliffe research. Another 100 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1190, 1431, 1440, 1480, 1495, 1500, 1510, 1524, 1600, 1651, 1667 and 1712 are included under the topic Early Hedcliffe History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Hedcliffe Spelling Variations

Since the Old and Middle English languages lacked definite spelling rules, Breton surnames have many spelling variations. Latin and French, which were the official court languages, were also influential on the spelling of surnames. The spelling of surnames was rarely consistent in medieval times, and scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded rather than adhering to any specific spelling rules. Therefore, it was common to find the same individual referred to with different spellings of their surname in the ancient chronicles. Moreover, a large number of foreign names were brought into England after the Norman Conquest, which accelerated and accentuated the alterations to the spelling of various surnames. The name has been spelled Hatcliffe, Hatecliffe, Hatliffe, Hartcliffe, Hatcliff, Hattcliffe, Hattcliff, Hartclyffe and many more.

Early Notables of the Hedcliffe family

Notable of this family during the Middle Ages was William Hatteclyffe (d. 1480), English physician and secretary to Edward IV, one of the original scholars of King's College, Cambridge, appointed by Henry VI on 12 Feb. 1440. Hatteclyffe was possibly a relative of another William Hatteclyffe (fl...
Another 46 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Hedcliffe Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Hedcliffe family

Some of the first immigrants to cross the Atlantic and come to North America carried the name Hedcliffe, or a variant listed above: the name represented in many forms and recorded from 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 +

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)
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)