Leechferd History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

The Leechferd name has descended through the generations from the ancient Anglo-Saxon culture. Their name comes from having lived in the area of Latchford in the parish of Grappenhall in Chester. Leechferd is a habitation name from the broad category of surnames that were derived from place-names. They were derived from pre-existing names for towns, villages, parishes, or farmsteads. Other local names are derived from the names of houses, manors, estates, regions, and entire counties.

Early Origins of the Leechferd family

The surname Leechferd was first found in Chester at Latchford, a chapelry in the union of Grappenhill, in the hundred of Bucklow. There is no mention in the Domesday Book of the place so presumably it was either of little significance or was established at a later time. Latchford had anciently two weekly markets and two annual fairs, granted to it by Edward III. The township is included in the parliamentary borough of Warrington, and comprises 731 acres. The family is believed to have originated here. Latchford is also a hamlet, in the parish of Great Haseley, poor-law union of Thame, hundred of Ewelme, in Oxfordshire, but this hamlet remained small through the ages as by 1890 it containing only 32 inhabitants whereas at that time the former Latchford had 2,361. 1

The Lackford variant is believed to have originated in Lackford, Suffolk, a parish, in the union and hundred of Thingoe. 1 Today, the parish contains the Lackford Lakes nature reserve and SSSI, created from reclaimed gravel pits. Lackford Hall was built around 1570, but the parish dates back much further than that. In fact, the Domesday Book of 1086 lists the place as Lecforda and probably meant "ford where leeks grow," from the Old English "leac" + "ford." 2 The Lackford hundred consisting of 83,712 acres and is similarly listed in the Domesday Book. 3

Early History of the Leechferd family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Leechferd research. Another 72 words (5 lines of text) covering the year 1630 is included under the topic Early Leechferd History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Leechferd Spelling Variations

Only recently has spelling become standardized in the English language. As the English language evolved in the Middle Ages, the spelling of names changed also. The name Leechferd has undergone many spelling variations, including Latchford, Latchforde, Lashford, Lashforde and others.

Early Notables of the Leechferd family

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

Migration of the Leechferd family to Ireland

Some of the Leechferd family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 36 words (3 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Leechferd family

To escape the unstable social climate in England of this time, many families boarded ships for the New World with the hope of finding land, opportunity, and greater religious and political freedom. Although the voyages were expensive, crowded, and difficult, those families that arrived often found greater opportunities and freedoms than they could have experienced at home. Many of those families went on to make significant contributions to the rapidly developing colonies in which they settled. Early North American records indicate many people bearing the name Leechferd were among those contributors: Thomas Lachford who settled in Boston, Massachusetts between 1630.

Citations +

Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)