Morwude History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

The ancestors of the bearers of the Morwude family name are thought have lived in ancient Anglo-Saxon England. They were first found in either of the settlements called Marwood in the counties of Devon and Durham. The surname Morwude 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 Morwude may be a nickname derived from the Old French word Malregard, which means evil look or evil eye.

Early Origins of the Morwude family

The surname Morwude 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 Morwude family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Morwude 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 Morwude History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Morwude 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 Morwude include Marwood, Marward, Morwood and others.

Early Notables of the Morwude 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 Morwude Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Morwude 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 Morwude or a variant listed above: 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.