Morwode History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

Morwode is a name of ancient Anglo-Saxon origin and comes from the family once having lived in either of the settlements called Marwood in the counties of Devon and Durham. The surname Morwode belongs to the large category of Anglo-Saxon habitation names, which are derived from pre-existing names for towns, villages, parishes, or farmsteads. However, some experts theorize that the surname Morwode may be a nickname derived from the Old French word Malregard, which means evil look or evil eye.

Early Origins of the Morwode family

The surname Morwode was first found in Devon at Widworthy, a parish, in the union of Honiton, hundred of Colyton. "The church [of Widworthy], an ancient structure, contains the effigy of a knight in armour, and a fine monument by Bacon to the memory of James Marwood, Esq., a liberal benefactor to the parish. Benedictus Marwood, Esq., in 1742 gave £100, and the Rev. Joseph Somaster in 1770 left £50, to be applied to education." 1

Early History of the Morwode family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Morwode research. Another 73 words (5 lines of text) covering the years 1130, 1601, 1635, 1672, 1680, 1681, 1725, 1739 and 1740 are included under the topic Early Morwode History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Morwode Spelling Variations

Sound was what guided spelling in the essentially pre-literate Middle Ages, so one person's name was often recorded under several variations during a single lifetime. Also, before the advent of the printing press and the first dictionaries, the English language was not standardized. Therefore, spelling variations were common, even among the names of the most literate people. Known variations of the Morwode family name include Marwood, Marward, Morwood and others.

Early Notables of the Morwode family

Notables of the family at this time include Sir George Marwood, (1601-1680), 1st Baronet ; Sir Henry Marwood, (c. 1635-1725), 2nd Baronet; Sir Samuel Marwood, (c. 1672-1739), 3rd Baronet; and Sir William Marwood, (c. 1681-1740) 4th Baronet. "The worthies of Honiton [Devon] are few and far between. The Pole family...
Another 48 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Morwode Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Morwode family

For political, religious, and economic reasons, thousands of English families boarded ships for Ireland, Canada, the America colonies, and many of smaller tropical colonies in the hope of finding better lives abroad. Although the passage on the cramped, dank ships caused many to arrive in the New World diseased and starving, those families that survived the trip often went on to make valuable contributions to those new societies to which they arrived. Early immigrants bearing the Morwode surname or a spelling variation of the name include: Joe Marwood settled in Virginia in 1635; John Marwood settled in Barbados in 1685; Jonas Marwood settled in Maryland in 1727; Alexander Morwood arrived in Philadelphia in 1850..

Citations +

Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.