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![Show Contents]() Wedgewod History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
- Origins Available:
 England
The Anglo-Saxon name Wedgewod comes from the family having resided in Wedgwood, a township in Staffordshire. The place-name Wedgwood is derived from the Old English elements wæthe, whcih means marsh or fen, and wuda, which means wood. The place-name taken as a whole means "place at the marshy wood." The township no longer exists. Early Origins of the Wedgewod familyThe surname Wedgewod was first found in Staffordshire at Wedgwood, a township, in the parish of Wolstanton, union of Wolstanton and Burslem, N. division of the hundred of Pirehill. "This township, which comprises 431 acres of arable land, is supposed to have been originally the residence of the Wedgwood family, several of whom have been eminent for their improvements in the earthenware and porcelain manufacture." 1 Josiah Wedgwood founded the village of Eturia, again in Staffordshire. "The classical name of this place was given to it by its late celebrated founder, Josiah Wedgwood, who established here the well-known Wedgwood-ware potteries, in 1769, and called the village after the seat of the ancient fictile art in Italy, Etruria, where a colony of Phœnician potters settled about 1000 years before the birth of Christ." 1 Wedgwood "erected an entire village for his workmen and dependants, and a mansion on a neighbouring eminence for his own residence." 1 Early History of the Wedgewod familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Wedgewod research. Another 248 words (18 lines of text) covering the years 1470, 1576, 1588, 1612, 1637, 1730 and 1795 are included under the topic Early Wedgewod History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Wedgewod Spelling VariationsWedgewod has been spelled many different ways. Before English spelling became standardized over the last few hundred years, spelling variations in names were a common occurrence. As the English language changed in the Middle Ages, absorbing pieces of Latin and French, as well as other languages, the spelling of people's names also changed considerably, even over a single lifetime. Spelling variants included: Wedgewoode, Wedgewood, Wedgewode, Wegewode, Wegewood and many more. Early Notables of the Wedgewod familyMore information is included under the topic Early Wedgewod Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Migration of the Wedgewod familyIn an attempt to escape the chaos experienced in England, many English families boarded overcrowded and diseased ships sailing for the shores of North America and other British colonies. Those families hardy enough, and lucky enough, to make the passage intact were rewarded with land and a social environment less prone to religious and political persecution. Many of these families became important contributors to the young colonies in which they settled. Early immigration and passenger lists have documented some of the first Wedgewods to arrive on North American shores: John Wedgewood who settled in Annapolis Maryland in 1723.
- Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
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