Jewitt History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

The vast movement of people that followed the Norman Conquest of England in 1066 brought the Jewitt family name to the British Isles. Jewitt comes from the ancient personal name Julien. The surname of Jowett was a baptismal name which means Julien. 1

Alternatively, the name could have been derived from the French "jouet" which means "play, sport, fun." English records we find both Jouet and Jowet." 2

Another source agrees with this direction. The Magni Rotuli Scaccarii Normanniae lists Geoffry Guuit (or Guet), Normandy, 1180-95. "Matilda Joute, Richard Joyet, William Juet, Engl. c. 1272." 3

Early Origins of the Jewitt family

The surname Jewitt was first found in Cheshire where they held a family seat as Lords of the manor of Bredbury from early times. The lands were granted by William the Conqueror to a Norman noble by the name Jouet, from the Isle of Rhe in France. By the twelfth century they had branched to Ashton-under-Lyme in that same shire.

Early English rolls provide us a glimpse of the spelling variations used through Medieval times. Today we typically need to look beyond the spellings of these entries and concentrate on a phonetic appreciation of the names.

The Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 had only one listing: William Juet, Huntingdonshire. 4 William Jouet was listed in the Assize Rolls for Staffordshire in 1229 and the next year, Richard Jouot was listed in the same county in the Assize Rolls of 1300. In Kent, Goger Guet was found in the Assize Rolls for 1317 and later, Robert Jowet was found in the Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379. 1

Early History of the Jewitt family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Jewitt research. Another 118 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1451, 1452, 1591, 1592, 1613, 1614, 1631, 1639, 1641, 1643, 1675, 1693, 1694, 1701 and 1720 are included under the topic Early Jewitt History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Jewitt Spelling Variations

Endless spelling variations are a prevailing characteristic of Norman surnames. Old and Middle English lacked any definite spelling rules, and the introduction of Norman French added an unfamiliar ingredient to the English linguistic stew. French and Latin, the languages of the court, also influenced spellings. Finally, Medieval scribes generally spelled words according to how they sounded, so one person was often referred to by different spellings in different documents. The name has been spelled Jowett, Jowet, Jowit, Jowitt, Jewett, Jewet, Juet, Jouet, Juett and many more.

Early Notables of the Jewitt family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was Nehemiah Jewett (1643-1720), an American colonial politician, Speaker of the Massachusetts House of Representatives (1693-1694) and in 1701; during his tenure, he was responsible for compensating those damaged by the Salem witch trials.Randal or Randolph Jewett (d. 1675), was an organist and composer, is said to have received the (honorary?) degree of Mus. Bac. at Trinity College, Dublin, and to have studied music under Orlando Gibbons. Jewett was organist of the cathedrals of...
Another 80 words (6 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Jewitt Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Jewitt migration to the United States +

To escape the political and religious persecution within England at the time, many English families left for the various British colonies abroad. The voyage was extremely difficult, though, and the cramped, dank ships caused many to arrive in the New World diseased and starving. But for those who made it, the trip was most often worth it. Many of the families who arrived went on to make valuable contributions to the emerging nations of Canada and the United States. An inquiry into the early roots of North American families reveals a number of immigrants bearing the name Jewitt or a variant listed above:

Jewitt Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Olliver Jewitt, who arrived in Virginia in 1657 5

Jewitt Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

G D Jewitt, who arrived in San Francisco, California in 1850 5

Jewitt migration to Australia +

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

Jewitt Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Mr. George Jewitt, British Convict who was convicted in York, England for life, transported aboard the "Asia" on 5th November 1835, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land)1836 6

Contemporary Notables of the name Jewitt (post 1700) +

John Rodgers Jewitt (1783-1821), American armourer who wrote about his 28 months as captive of Maquinna of the Nuu-chah-nulth (Nootka) people on the Pacific Northwest Coast
Leonard Jewitt, American politician, Member of Ohio State Senate from Washington and Gallia counties, 1806-08 7
Brad Jewitt, American Republican politician, Candidate for U.S. Representative from Maryland 5th District, 2004 7
Thomas Orlando Sheldon Jewitt (1799-1869), English architectural wood-engraver, son of Arthur Jewitt
Llewellynn Frederick William Jewitt (1816-1886), English illustrator, engraver, natural scientist, author of The Ceramic Art of Great Britain (1878), son of Arthur Jewitt
Lee Jewitt (b. 1987), English professional rugby league footballer who plays for Castleford Tigers
David C. Jewitt (b. 1958), English-born, professor of astronomy in the Earth, Planetary, and Space Science Department of UCLA
Arthur Jewitt (1772-1852), English topographer, known for his The History of Lincolnshire which appeared in 1810, and The History of Buxton in 1811

The Jewitt Motto +

The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.

Motto: Animo et prudentia
Motto Translation: By courage and prudence.

Citations +

Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
Harrison, Henry, Surnames of the United Kingdom: A Concise Etymological Dictionary Baltimore: Geneological Publishing Company, 2013. Print
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)
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
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)
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 28th January 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/asia/1835
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, October 7) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html