| ![Show Contents]() Wattdinghan History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
- Origins Available:
 England Wattdinghan is an ancient Norman name that arrived in England after the Norman Conquest of 1066. The Wattdinghan family lived in Lincolnshire at Wadingham, a parish, in the union of Caistor, E. division of the wapentake of Manley, parts of Lindsey. 1 Early Origins of the Wattdinghan familyThe surname Wattdinghan was first found in Lincolnshire where Gocelin Fitz Lambert was granted the lands of Wadingham by the Bishop of Bayeux. 2 Early rolls show the prominence of the name in early times: Nicholas de Wadingham was recorded c. 1160; Alan de Wadingeham was listed in the Assize Rolls for Lancashire in 1218; and Nicholas de Wadingham was recorded in 1264. 3 Early History of the Wattdinghan familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Wattdinghan research. Another 80 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1388, 1397, 1411, 1438, 1522, 1523, 1529, 1532, 1534, 1541, 1577 and 1609 are included under the topic Early Wattdinghan History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Wattdinghan Spelling VariationsEndless spelling variations are a prevailing characteristic of Norman surnames. Old and Middle English lacked any definite spelling rules, and the introduction of Norman French added an unfamiliar ingredient to the English linguistic stew. French and Latin, the languages of the court, also influenced spellings. Finally, Medieval scribes generally spelled words according to how they sounded, so one person was often referred to by different spellings in different documents. The name has been spelled Waddingham, Wadingham, Wadham and others. Early Notables of the Wattdinghan familyOutstanding amongst the family at this time was Nicholas Wadham (1532-1609), founder of Wadham College, Oxford, born in 1532, the only surviving son of John Wadham (d. 1577), and his wife Joan, daughter and coheir of John Tregarthin of Cornwall. The family originally came and took its name from Wadham or Wadeham in the parish of Knowstone, North Devonshire, where it was settled in the reign of Edward I. Thence it migrated to Egge or Edge, near Seaton in the same county. Edge was the seat of John Wadham (d. 1411), who was appointed a judge of the...
Another 97 words (7 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Wattdinghan Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Migration of the Wattdinghan familyTo escape the political and religious persecution within England at the time, many English families left for the various British colonies abroad. The voyage was extremely difficult, though, and the cramped, dank ships caused many to arrive in the New World diseased and starving. But for those who made it, the trip was most often worth it. Many of the families who arrived went on to make valuable contributions to the emerging nations of Canada and the United States. An inquiry into the early roots of North American families reveals a number of immigrants bearing the name Wattdinghan or a variant listed above: George Wadham who settled in Virginia in 1663; Richard Wadham settled in Barbados in 1685; Phillip Waddingham settled in Virginia in 1654.
- Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
- Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
- Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
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