Whitehedd History, Family Crest & Coats of ArmsWhitehedd is a name whose history is entwined with the ancient Anglo-Saxon tribes of Britain. It was a name for a whitehaired or fair-haired person. The surname Whitehedd is derived from the Old English words hwit, which means white, and heafod, which means head. 1 Early Origins of the Whitehedd familyThe surname Whitehedd was first found in Lancashire and "especially in North England. " 2 The Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 included two entries for the family with very early spellings: Roger Witheyed, Huntingdonshire; and William Witheyed, Cambridgeshire. And in Yorkshire, the Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379 listed Adam Whiteheued; Johannes Whittehed; and Robertus Qwytheued. 2 Further to the north in Scotland, the first record of the family was "Adam Whytehevde de Hoton, juror on inquisition before the sheriff of Berwick, 1300. " 3 Early History of the Whitehedd familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Whitehedd research. Another 121 words (9 lines of text) covering the years 1300, 1423, 1485, 1492, 1519, 1523, 1540, 1541, 1551, 1557, 1571, 1585, 1594, 1609, 1625, 1628, 1629, 1630, 1636, 1653, 1660, 1661, 1663, 1672, 1684, 1696 and 1723 are included under the topic Early Whitehedd History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Whitehedd Spelling VariationsBefore the last few hundred years, the English language had no fast system of spelling rules. For that reason, spelling variations are commonly found in early Anglo-Saxon surnames. Over the years, many variations of the name Whitehedd were recorded, including Whitehedd, Whited, Whitehead, Whytehead and others. Early Notables of the Whitehedd familyNotables of the family at this time include David Whithead (1492?-1571), English divine, born about 1492, a native of Hampshire (Wood), where the Whiteheads had some landed property. "His contemporary, Hugh Whitehead (d. 1551), with whom David has been confused, belonged to a Durham branch of the family, was from 1519 to 1540 last prior, and from 1541 first dean of Durham. " 4George Whitehead (1636?-1723), was an English Quaker, born at Sun Bigs, parish of Orton, Westmorland. From 1661 to 1672 Whitehead spent most of his time in prison. He died on 8 March 1723, in his eighty-seventh... Migration of the Whitehedd family to IrelandSome of the Whitehedd family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
To escape oppression and starvation at that time, many English families left for the "open frontiers" of the New World with all its perceived opportunities. In droves people migrated to the many British colonies, those in North America in particular, paying high rates for passages in cramped, unsafe ships. Although many of the settlers did not make the long passage alive, those who did see the shores of North America perceived great opportunities before them. Many of the families that came from England went on to make essential contributions to the emerging nations of Canada and the United States. Research into various historical records revealed some of first members of the Whitehedd family emigrate to North America: Whitehedd Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century
The British first settled the British West Indies around 1604. They made many attempts but failed in some to establish settlements on the Islands including Saint Lucia and Grenada. By 1627 they had managed to establish settlements on St. Kitts (St. Christopher) and Barbados, but by 1641 the Spanish had moved in and destroyed some of these including those at Providence Island. The British continued to expand the settlements including setting the First Federation in the British West Indies by 1674; some of the islands include Barbados, Bermuda, Cayman Island, Turks and Caicos, Jamaica and Belize then known as British Honduras. By the 1960's many of the islands became independent after the West Indies Federation which existed from 1958 to 1962 failed due to internal political conflicts. After this a number of Eastern Caribbean islands formed a free association. 6 Whitehedd Settlers in West Indies in the 17th Century
The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto. Motto: Dum spiro spero Motto Translation: While I have breath I hope.
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