Siddenman History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

The name Siddenman is an old Anglo-Saxon name. It comes from when a family lived in the parish of Sydenham found in the counties of Devon, Oxfordshire and Somerset. 1 2 These place-names were derived from the Old English terms sid meaning wide and hamm meaning water meadow. 3

Siddenman is a topographic surname, which was given to a person who resided near a physical feature such as a hill, stream, church, or type of tree. During the Middle Ages, as society became more complex, individuals needed a way to be distinguishable from others. Toponymic surnames were developed as a result of this need. Various features in the landscape or area were used to distinguish people from one another. In this case the original bearers of the surname Siddenman were named due to their close proximity to the wide water meadow.

Early Origins of the Siddenman family

The surname Siddenman was first found in Northumberland where Ascelin de Sidenham was listed in the Assize Rolls for 1202. Later, Walter de Sydenham was found in the Feet of Fines for Oxford in 1284 and John Sydenham in the Subsidy Rolls for Somerset in 1327. Later again, Richards Sydenham was recorded in the Assize Rolls for Lincolnshire in 1384. 4

Early Somerset records show John de Sydenham, 1 Edward; and Simon de Sidenham, 1 Edward III (during the first year of the reign of King Edward III.) 5

Early History of the Siddenman family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Siddenman research. Another 110 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1150, 1224, 1418, 1429, 1431, 1438, 1615, 1620, 1624, 1628, 1641, 1642, 1643, 1654, 1661, 1669, 1671, 1676, 1679, 1689, 1696 and 1739 are included under the topic Early Siddenman History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Siddenman 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 Siddenman were recorded, including Sydenham, Sidenham, Sydenhame, Sidenhame and others.

Early Notables of the Siddenman family

Notables of this surname at this time include: Simon Sydenham (died 1438), medieval Dean of Salisbury (1418-1431) and Bishop of Chichester (1429-1438); Sir John Sydenham, 1st Baronet of Brimpton, Somerset (c. 1620-1643); Sir John Sydenham, 2nd Baronet of Brimpton (1643-1696) Member of Parliament for Somerset (1669-1679); Sir Philip Sydenham, 3rd Baronet of Brimpton (c. 1676-1739) Member of Parliament for Ilchester; Sir Ralph Sydenham (died 1671), an English politician who...
Another 69 words (5 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Siddenman Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Siddenman family

To escape oppression and starvation at that time, many English families left for the "open frontiers" of the New World with all its perceived opportunities. In droves people migrated to the many British colonies, those in North America in particular, paying high rates for passages in cramped, unsafe ships. Although many of the settlers did not make the long passage alive, those who did see the shores of North America perceived great opportunities before them. Many of the families that came from England went on to make essential contributions to the emerging nations of Canada and the United States. Research into various historical records revealed some of first members of the Siddenman family emigrate to North America: Richard Sidenham, who arrived in Barbados in 1670; Mary Sydenham, who settled in Pennsylvania in 1682; William Sydenham, a servant sent to Virginia in 1674.

Citations +

Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
Barber, Henry, British Family Names London: Elliot Stock, 62 Paternoster Row, 1894. Print.
Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
Dickinson, F.H., Kirby's Quest for Somerset of 16th of Edward the 3rd London: Harrison and Sons, Printers in Ordinary to Her Majesty, St, Martin's Lane, 1889. Print.