Longwee History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

The history of the Longwee family goes back to the ancient Anglo-Saxon culture of Britain. It is derived from the family living in Langley in five counties in ancient Britain. Literally, the place name means "long wood or clearing," from the Old English words "land" + "leah." The name has Saxon roots too as the oldest place we found was in Langley, Kent where it was listed as Longanleag in 814. The next earliest was in Wiltshire where Langelegh was listed in 940, both before the Norman Conquest in 1066. 1

Early Origins of the Longwee family

The surname Longwee was first found in Durham where they held a family seat from very ancient times. Some of the first records of the name were listed in the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273: Thomas Langeleye in Oxford; Peter de Langlege in Wiltshire; and Ralph de Langleye in Kent. 2

Wakefield in the West Riding of Yorkshire was home to another branch of the family since early times. "In the reign of Edward the Confessor, it formed part of the royal demesnes; and, after the Conquest, was granted by Henry I. to William, Earl Warren, with whose descendants it remained till the reign of Edward III., when, in default of issue male, it escheated to the crown, and was given by that monarch to his fifth son, Edmund de Langley, upon whom he conferred the title of Earl of Cambridge, and who, in the reign of Richard II., was for his important services created Duke of York." 3

Some of the family were found in the North Riding of Yorkshire at Wykeham. "Wykeham Abbey, the seat of the Hon. Marmaduke Langley, who is lord of the manor and chief owner of the soil, is a neat mansion, standing in a finely wooded park about a mile south of the village." 3

Langley Castle is a restored medieval tower house, now operated as an hotel, situated in the village of Langley in the valley of the River South Tyne, Northumberland. This castle was never held by the Langley family but is so named because of its proximity to the village. Langley Chapel is a 17th century Anglican parish church, located near Acton Burnell, Shropshire, England.

Early History of the Longwee family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Longwee research. Another 65 words (5 lines of text) covering the years 1341, 1363, 1386, 1402, 1404, 1437, 1548, 1576, 1595, 1596, 1602, 1611 and 1679 are included under the topic Early Longwee History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Longwee Spelling Variations

Until quite recently, the English language has lacked a definite system of spelling rules. Consequently, Anglo-Saxon surnames are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. Changes in Anglo-Saxon names were influenced by the evolution of the English language, as it incorporated elements of French, Latin, and other languages. Although Medieval scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded, so it is common to find one person referred to by several different spellings of his surname, even the most literate people varied the spelling of their own names. Variations of the name Longwee include Langley, Langlee, Langleigh and others.

Early Notables of the Longwee family

Notables of the family at this time include Edmund of Langley, 1st Duke of York, 1st Earl of Cambridge, (1341-1402), a medival prince; Thomas Langley (c.1363-1437), an English prelate, Dean of York, Bishop of Durham, twice Lord Chancellor of England, the second longest serving Chancellor of the Middle Ages; Sir Robert Langley, appointed Dean of York in 1386, though his...
Another 60 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Longwee Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Longwee family to Ireland

Some of the Longwee family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt. More information about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Longwee family

Searching for a better life, many English families migrated to British colonies. Unfortunately, the majority of them traveled under extremely harsh conditions: overcrowding on the ships caused the majority of the immigrants to arrive diseased, famished, and destitute from the long journey across the ocean. For those families that arrived safely, modest prosperity was attainable, and many went on to make invaluable contributions to the development of the cultures of the new colonies. Research into the origins of individual families in North America revealed records of the immigration of a number of people bearing the name Longwee or a variant listed above: Henry Langley settled in Virginia in 1650; Daniel Langley settled in Virginia in 1679; Sarah Langley settled in Virginia in 1633 with her husband; Catherine Langley settled in Barbados in 1654.

Citations +

Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.