Mordaunt History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

Early Origins of the Mordaunt family

The surname Mordaunt was first found in Bedfordshire (Old English: Bedanfordscir), located in Southeast-central England, formerly part of the Anglo-Saxon kingdom of Mercia. "Turvey in Bedfordshire was the principal seat of this noble Norman family, descended from Osbert le Mordaunt, who came over from Normandy with William the Conqueror, and received a grant of the lordship of Radwell in that county." 1 Another reference is more specific: "their patriarch was Sir Osbert le Mordaunt, who possessed Radwell, co. Bedfordshire, by gift of his brother, who had received it from the Conqueror, for services rendered by himself and his father." 2 The parish of Mordon (Morden) in Durham was home to another branch of the family. "This place gave name to a resident family, of whom mention occurs in the 14th century. The name was perhaps originally Moredun, or "the moorish hill," from the elevation of the place above a marsh. " 3

Early History of the Mordaunt family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Mordaunt research. Another 188 words (13 lines of text) covering the years 1505, 1621, 1623, 1626, 1642, 1648, 1649, 1650, 1663, 1675, 1681, 1692, 1695, 1697, 1698, 1701, 1702, 1703, 1705, 1707, 1708, 1710, 1715, 1720 and 1721 are included under the topic Early Mordaunt History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Mordaunt Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Mordaunt, Mordan, Morden, Mordon, Mordant and others.

Early Notables of the Mordaunt family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was

Sir John Mordaunt (died c.1505), an English politician of the Tudor period, Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Speaker of the House of Commons
Henry Mordaunt, 4th Baron Mordaunt
John Mordaunt, 1st Earl of Peterborough (died 1642), an English peer
John Mordaunt, 1st Viscount Mordaunt (1626-1675), who was an English Royalist, the second son of John Mordaunt, 1st Earl of Peterborough (died 1642.) In June 1648, he joined his brother, Henry Mordaun...

Mordaunt migration to Australia +

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

Mordaunt Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Mr. James Mordaunt, English convict who was convicted in Middlesex, England for 14 years, transported aboard the "Baring" in April 1815, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 4

Mordaunt migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Mordaunt Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

J. Mordaunt, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Viscount Canning" in 1865

Contemporary Notables of the name Mordaunt (post 1700) +

Sir Charles Mordaunt (1836-1897), 10th Baronet Mordaunt
Richard Nigel Charles Mordaunt (b. 1940), 14th Baronet Mordaunt
Elinor Mordaunt (1872-1942), English author, writer and traveler
Thomas Osbert Mordaunt (1730-1809), British Army officer, and poet
Norman Mordaunt, co-founder of Mordaunt-Short, a loudspeaker manufacturer, now owned by Audio Partnership Plc
Professor Joseph Mordaunt Crook CBE, FBA,, English architectural historian
Stanley Mordaunt Leathes (b. 1861), British historian, a fellow of Trinity, Cambridge

Historic Events for the Mordaunt family +

HMAS Sydney II

Mr. Francis Xavier Mordaunt (1915-1941), Australian Petty Officer Writer from Richmond, New South Wales, Australia, who sailed into battle aboard HMAS Sydney II and died in the sinking 5

The Mordaunt 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: Nec placido contenta quiete est
Motto Translation: Nor is content with quiet repose.

Citations +

Shirley, Evelyn Philip, The Noble and Gentle Men of England; The Arms and Descents. Westminster: John Bower Nichols and Sons, 1866, Print.
Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 16th September 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/baring
HMAS Sydney II, Finding Sydney Foundation - Roll of Honour. (Retrieved 2014, April 24) . Retrieved from http://www.findingsydney.com/roll.asp