Strangwitch History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

The name Strangwitch is of Anglo-Saxon origin and came from when a family lived in the settlement of Strangeways in the county of Lancashire. The surname Strangwitch belongs to the large category of Anglo-Saxon habitation names, which are derived from pre-existing names for towns, villages, parishes, or farmsteads.

Early Origins of the Strangwitch family

The surname Strangwitch was first found in Lancashire where it is generally thought that the name was derived from Strangwish, near Manchester which was held by the family in the 14th century. 1 In fact, the English "Gentleman Pirate" Henry Strangways (died 1562) often spelt his name "Strangwish."

Of note in early times was Thomas Strangeways (c. 1395-before 1442), husband of Katherine Strangeways who together had two daughters: Joan Strangeways, who first married Sir William Willoughby, before 20 July 1461; and Katherine Strangeways, who married Henry Grey, 4th (7th) Baron Grey of Codnor, 29 August 1454.

James Strangeways of Fyfield, a gentleman usher of the King's Chamber in London was the second husband of Lady Catherine Gordon (c. 1474-1537) and was married before 13 February 1512.

Early History of the Strangwitch family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Strangwitch research. Another 154 words (11 lines of text) covering the years 1516, 1562, 1585, 1614, 1615, 1636, 1640, 1661, 1666, 1675 and 1676 are included under the topic Early Strangwitch History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Strangwitch 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 Strangwitch family name include Strangways, Strangeways, Strangwich, Strangwish, Strangeway and many more.

Early Notables of the Strangwitch family

Distinguished members of the family include Sir James Strangeways (died 1516), an English politician, Speaker of the House of Commons, the son of Sir James Strangeways of Whorlton, Yorkshire; Sir John Strangways (1585-1666), an English politician who sat in the House of Commons between 1614 and 1666, he supported the Royalist side...
Another 51 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Strangwitch Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Strangwitch family

For political, religious, and economic reasons, thousands of English families boarded ships for Ireland, the Canadas, 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 Strangwitch surname or a spelling variation of the name include : William and Robert Strangway settled in Maryland in 1750.

Citations +

Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.