Sawnders History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Ireland

The Anglo-Norman surname Sawnders is derived from the name Saunder, which is a pet form of the personal name Alexander. This name was originally derived from the Greek personal name Alexandros which literally means defender of men.

Early Origins of the Sawnders family

The surname Sawnders was first found in County Wicklow (Irish: Cill Mhantáin), known as the “last county,” created only in 1606, located on the East coast of Ireland, today part of the Greater Dublin Area, where they were granted lands by Strongbow, Earl of Pembroke, for their assistance in the invasion of Ireland in 1172.

Early History of the Sawnders family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Sawnders research. Another 131 words (9 lines of text) covering the years 1530, 1555, 1581, 1620, 1648, 1683, 1695 and 1710 are included under the topic Early Sawnders History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Sawnders Spelling Variations

During the Middle Ages, a single person often had their name recorded by church officials and scribes many different ways. Names were typically spelt as they sounded, which resulted in many different spelling variations. The many versions of the name Sawnders to have been recorded over the years include: Saunders, Sanders, Sawnders, Sainders, Saynders, Saunderrs, Sannders, Sanderrs, Saunder and many more.

Early Notables of the Sawnders family

Notable amongst the family up to this time was Laurence Saunders, a preacher of Northamptonshire, burned at the stake on February 8, 1555 for his Protestant views. Nicholas Sanders or Sander (ca. 1530-1581), was an English controversialist and historian, one of the twelve children of William Sanders of Aston, one time High Sheriff...
Another 53 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Sawnders Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Sawnders migration to the United States +

In the 1840s, Ireland experienced a mass exodus to North America due to the Great Potato Famine. These families wanted to escape from hunger and disease that was ravaging their homeland. With the promise of work, freedom and land overseas, the Irish looked upon British North America and the United States as a means of hope and prosperity. Those that survived the journey were able to achieve this through much hard work and perseverance. Early immigration and passenger lists revealed many bearing the name Sawnders:

Sawnders Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Edward Sawnders, aged 20, who arrived in Virginia in 1635 aboard the ship "Thomas" 1

Sawnders migration to West Indies +

The British first settled the British West Indies around 1604. They made many attempts but failed in some to establish settlements on the Islands including Saint Lucia and Grenada. By 1627 they had managed to establish settlements on St. Kitts (St. Christopher) and Barbados, but by 1641 the Spanish had moved in and destroyed some of these including those at Providence Island. The British continued to expand the settlements including setting the First Federation in the British West Indies by 1674; some of the islands include Barbados, Bermuda, Cayman Island, Turks and Caicos, Jamaica and Belize then known as British Honduras. By the 1960's many of the islands became independent after the West Indies Federation which existed from 1958 to 1962 failed due to internal political conflicts. After this a number of Eastern Caribbean islands formed a free association. 2

Sawnders Settlers in West Indies in the 17th Century

Jo Sawnders, aged 17, who landed in St Christopher in 1635 1

The Sawnders 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: Nil Conscire Sibi
Motto Translation: Conscious of no Wrong.

Citations +

Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_West_Indies