Twaites History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Scotland/England
Scotland
England

The distinguished surname Twaites is thought to have emerged in the border region between North England and Scotland. It is derived from the Old Norse "pveit," meaning "meadow, piece of land." Thus, the name originally referred to a "dweller at the meadow." 1

Thwaite as a parish can be found in Norfolk, Suffolk and as Thwaites in Cumberland. 2

Early Origins of the Twaites family

The surname Twaites was first found in Norfolk. The earliest known bearer of the name was Ralph del Thweit, who was listed in the Pipe Rolls for 1206. Ralph de Tweit was listed in the Curia Regis Rolls of Norfolk in 1221 and later, Alan del Thweit was listed in the Subsidy Rolls of Yorkshire in 1301. 3 The name later emerged in the northern county of Yorkshire, borne by a notable family.

Later in Scotland, the Twatt variant was "a surname common to both Orkney and Shetland. The Twatts of Orkney may derive their surname from Twatt in Birsay, and the Twatts of Shetland from Twatt in the parish of Aithsting. John Twatt or Tuait raised an action at law against the rest of the heirs of Twat in 1563, and in 1580 there is recorded a wadset by Magnus Tuait." 4

Early History of the Twaites family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Twaites research. Another 165 words (12 lines of text) covering the years 1300, 1301, 1379, 1435, 1441, 1445, 1446, 1453, 1471, 1478, 1483, 1490, 1493, 1503, 1624, 1638, 1677, 1723, 1740, 1797 and 1824 are included under the topic Early Twaites History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Twaites Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Thwaites, Thwaits, Thwaite, Thweat, Thweatt, Thwaytes, Twaite, Twaites, Twaits, Tweats, Thoytes, Thwayte, Threet, Threat and many more.

Early Notables of the Twaites family

Notable amongst the family at this time was Robert Thwaits, an English medieval academic administrator, Vice-Chancellor of Oxford University (1441-1453) and Chancellor of Oxford University (1445-1446); Sir Thomas Thwaites (c.1435-1503), Chancellor of the Exchequer from 1471 to 1483, Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster from 1478 to 1483, and Treasurer of Calais from 1483 to 1490, was knighted in 1483, was arrested...
Another 62 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Twaites Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Twaites migration to Australia +

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

Twaites Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Mr. Thomas Twaites, English convict who was convicted in London, England for 10 years, transported aboard the "Eden" on 30th September 1848, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Island) 5

Twaites migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Twaites Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Mr. James Twaites, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Nourmahal" arriving in Dunedin, Otaga, South Island, New Zealand on 5th May 1858 6

Citations +

Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
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 15th November 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/eden
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 17th October 2018). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html