Mordimor History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Scotland

We must look to France for the early origins of the name Mordimor. For it is here that early records this family descends from Walter, Lord of St. Martin, Normandy who married a niece of the Duchess Gunnora c. 980. Roger, Sire de Mortimer was a leader of the army of Duke William and helped defeat the French in 1054. 1

His son Roger de Mortimer was a leader at the Battle of Hastings and was granted a great barony for his efforts. From him, descended the Lords Mortimer of Wigmore, Earls of March.

Very few entries in the Domesday Book of 1086 include a full name; this name is one of those exceptions. For there, we find Ralph de Mortemer, de Mortuo Mari. 2 3

The etymology of the name, however, is a reference to the family's place of residence prior to the Norman Conquest of England in 1066, Moretemer, in the Seine-Maritime region of Normandy 1 where Mortemer derives from the Old French "mort," meaning "dead," and "mer," meaning "sea."

Early Origins of the Mordimor family

The surname Mordimor was first found in Herefordshire where Ranulph de Mortimer (before 1070), who accompanied William the Conqueror was granted Wigmore Castle. The family became the Lords of Wigmore. The Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 revealed the following entries: Ralph de Mortimer in Lincolnshire; and Hugh de Mortuomari, and Lucia de Mortuomari in Herefordshire. 4 "The parish [of Woodham-Mortimer], called in some documents Little Woodham, derives its present adjunct from the family of Mortimer, to whom it anciently belonged." 5

Peter Mortemer held lands in Sussex according to the Subsidy Rolls of 1296. 3

Some of the family held a family seat at Attleburgh in Norfolk in ancient times. "It was anciently the capital of Norfolk, and the residence of Offa and Edmund, kings of East Anglia; and was subsequently the seat of the Mortimer family, the site of whose baronial hall is still encompassed by a moat. In the reign of Richard II., Robert de Mortimer founded a collegiate establishment, in the church of the Holy Cross, for a warden and four secular priests." 5

Some moved up to Scotland. "The first of the name recorded in Scotland is probably William de Mortimer who sometime after 1165 witnessed King William the Lion's confirmation of the charter of Philip de Euermel to Neubotel." 6

Early History of the Mordimor family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Mordimor research. Another 192 words (14 lines of text) covering the years 1054, 1287, 1321, 1324, 1328, 1330, 1352, 1360, 1374, 1376, 1381, 1390, 1398, 1409, 1411 and 1827 are included under the topic Early Mordimor History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Mordimor 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 Mortimer, Mortimor and others.

Early Notables of the Mordimor family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was Roger Mortimer, 1st Earl of March (c.1287-1330), an English nobleman in the Welsh marches, who surrendered to Edward II in 1321, and escaped from the Tower of London in 1324; and his son, Sir Roger de Mortimer, 2nd Earl of March, 4th Baron Mortimer, KG (1328-1360), an English nobleman and military commander during the Hundred Years' War; and his son, Edmund de Mortimer, 3rd Earl of March and jure uxoris Earl of Ulster (1352-1381); and his son, and Roger de Mortimer...
Another 88 words (6 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Mordimor Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Mordimor family

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 Mordimor or a variant listed above: John Mortimore, who came to Virginia in 1663; James Mortimer, who came to Pennsylvania in 1696; Margaret Mortimer, who came to Pennsylvania in 1683; George Mortimore, who arrived in Jamaica in 1716.

Citations +

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)
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)
Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
Black, George F., The Surnames of Scotland Their Origin, Meaning and History. New York: New York Public Library, 1946. Print. (ISBN 0-87104-172-3)