Purdew History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland
Scotland

Purdew is a name of Anglo-Saxon origin. It was a name given to a person who was known for their continued use of the oath pour Dieu, which is Old French meaning "for God." This is a subset of the nickname type of name known as oath names. 1

Early Origins of the Purdew family

The surname Purdew was first found in Bedfordshire where Gilbert Purdeu was listed in the Assize Rolls for 1227. Later, the Hundredorum Rolls of 1279 included an entry for John Purde in Cheshire and the Subsidy Rolls for Sussex had two entries for the family: John Purdew in 1296; and John Purde in 1332. These entries may be the same person, or father and son. In Norfolk, John Purdy was listed there in 1436 as was Robert Purdu in 1479. 1

The same source found Richard Parde in the Feet of Fines for Suffolk in 1228; Robert Pardey in the Subsidy Rolls for Sussex in 1296; and Henry Pardeu in the Subsidy Rolls for Warwickshire in 1332. 1

Further to the north in Scotland, "John Purdie was one of an inquest in 1296 which found that Robert de Pinkeny held the tenement of Balincref, and David Perdy was a tenant of the earl of Douglas in Linton, 1376. A later David Purde, succentor of Glasgow, 1476-1477, appears again in 1491 as Prade, and in the title of his obituary in 1497 his name is given as Prowde." 2

Early History of the Purdew family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Purdew research. Another 177 words (13 lines of text) covering the years 1525, 1569, 1585, 1743, 1754, 1764, 1770, 1776, 1779, 1783, 1814, 1820, 1823, 1858, 1880 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Purdew History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Purdew Spelling Variations

Before the last few hundred years, the English language had no fast system of spelling rules. For that reason, spelling variations are commonly found in early Anglo-Saxon surnames. Over the years, many variations of the name Purdew were recorded, including Pardy, Pardie, Pardee, Purdie, Purdew, Purdy, Purdoe, Pardoe and many more.

Early Notables of the Purdew family

Notables of the family at this time include Thomas Pardoe (1770-1823), English enameler who was noted for flower painting from Derby. Alexander Purdie (c. 1743- 1779), born in Scotland, emigrated to America by 1764. He became a prominent colonial American printer, publisher, and merchant in Williamsburg, Virginia where he...
Another 48 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Purdew Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Purdew family to Ireland

Some of the Purdew family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 57 words (4 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Purdew migration to Australia +

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

Purdew Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Mr. Arthur Purdew, Welsh convict who was convicted in Monmouthshire, Wales for 14 years, transported aboard the "Eden" on 27th August 1836, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 3

Citations +

Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
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)
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 20th October 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/eden