Vawdrey History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

The name Vawdrey reached English shores for the first time with the ancestors of the Vawdrey family as they migrated following the Norman Conquest of 1066. The Vawdrey family lived in Cheshire. Their name, however, is a reference to Vaudrey, Normandy, the family's place of residence prior to the Norman Conquest of England in 1066.

Early Origins of the Vawdrey family

The surname Vawdrey was first found in Cheshire where they held a family seat as Lords of the Manor of Boden. They were granted lands by Duke William of Normandy after his conquest of England at Hastings in 1066 A.D. This noble family were under tenants of the great Earl Hugh of Chester. The Vawdrey family were originally of the French Comte and held a family seat at the Chateau Vawdrey and were Lords of St. Fallen Champagne, the Comtes de Bourgoyne. The Chateau Vawdrey can be seen between Dole and Salins.

Early History of the Vawdrey family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Vawdrey research. Another 94 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1625, 1814 and 1820 are included under the topic Early Vawdrey History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Vawdrey Spelling Variations

Anglo-Norman names tend to be marked by an enormous number of spelling variations. This is largely due to the fact that Old and Middle English lacked any spelling rules when Norman French was introduced in the 11th century. The languages of the English courts at that time were French and Latin. These various languages mixed quite freely in the evolving social milieu. The final element of this mix is that medieval scribes spelled words according to their sounds rather than any definite rules, so a name was often spelled in as many different ways as the number of documents it appeared in. The name was spelled Vawdrey, Vawdray, Vadrey, Vawdry, De Vawdry, De Vaudry, De Vawdrey, De Vaudrey and many more.

Early Notables of the Vawdrey family

More information is included under the topic Early Vawdrey Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Vawdrey family

Because of the political and religious discontent in England, families began to migrate abroad in enormous numbers. Faced with persecution and starvation at home, the open frontiers and generally less oppressive social environment of the New World seemed tantalizing indeed to many English people. The trip was difficult, and not all made it unscathed, but many of those who did get to Canada and the United States made important contributions to the young nations in which they settled. Some of the first North American settlers with Vawdrey name or one of its variants: Daniel Vaudrey, who settled in Virginia in 1683; and Edward Vadry who came to North America in 1710.

Contemporary Notables of the name Vawdrey (post 1700) +

Gilbert Vawdrey, English curate at Wrenbury, Cheshire (1810-1844)
Theophilis Glascott "T.G." Vawdrey L.R.C.P., M.R.C.S (1850-1940), English physician, surgeon and anti-vivisection activist from St Austell, Cornwall
Llewellyn Brookes Vawdrey, Welsh vicar of Maer, Staffordshire in 1867
Dayna Vawdrey (b. 1982), New Zealand television presenter and radio announcer perhaps best known for her role co-hosting Studio 2.
Rod Vawdrey, Australian executive, CEO of Fujitsu Australia (2003-)