|
![Show Contents]() Whittegrove History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
- Origins Available:
 England
The name Whittegrove came to England with the ancestors of the Whittegrove family in the Norman Conquest of 1066. The Whittegrove family lived in Staffordshire, at the manor of Whitgreave. Early Origins of the Whittegrove familyThe surname Whittegrove was first found in Staffordshire where they held a family seat as Lords of the Manor of Whitgreave. "In the reign of Henry III., Robert Whitgreave, the ancestor of this family, was seated at Burton near Stafford." 1 He received a grant of Arms from Humphrey, Earl of Stafford. The Arms are based on those of Stafford and there seems to be a relationship between the Whitgreaves and the noble house of Stafford. It was the Norman custom for the second son to adopt the surname of his manor or village. The small village of Whitgreave dates back to 1193 when it was first listed as Witegraue and possible meant "white grove or corpse," from the Old English words "hwit" + "graefe." 2 Early History of the Whittegrove familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Whittegrove research. Another 121 words (9 lines of text) covering the years 1449, 1590 and 1651 are included under the topic Early Whittegrove History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Whittegrove Spelling VariationsIt is only in the last few hundred years that the English language has been standardized. For that reason, Anglo-Norman surnames like Whittegrove are characterized by many spelling variations. Scribes and monks in the Middle Ages spelled names they sounded, so it is common to find several variations that refer to a single person. As the English language changed and incorporated elements of other European languages such as Norman French and Latin, even literate people regularly changed the spelling of their names. The variations of the name Whittegrove include Witgrave, Whitgrave, Whitgrove, Whitgreave, Whitgroves, Whitgreaves, Whitegrave, Whitegraves, Whitegrove, Whitegroves, Whitegreave, Whitegreaves, Witegrave, Witegrove, Witgreaves, Witgreave, Witgrove, Witgrave, Whitgraves, Witgraves and many more. Early Notables of the Whittegrove familyMore information is included under the topic Early Whittegrove Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Migration of the Whittegrove familyFaced with the chaos present in England at that time, many English families looked towards the open frontiers of the New World with its opportunities to escape oppression and starvation. People migrated to North America, as well as Australia and Ireland in droves, paying exorbitant rates for passages in cramped, unsafe ships. Many of the settlers did not make the long passage alive, but those who did see the shores of North America were welcomed with great opportunity. Many of the families that came from England went on to make essential contributions to the emerging nations of Canada and the United States. Some of the first immigrants to cross the Atlantic and come to North America carried the name Whittegrove, or a variant listed above: Thomas Witgrave who landed in North America in 1754.
- Shirley, Evelyn Philip, The Noble and Gentle Men of England; The Arms and Descents. Westminster: John Bower Nichols and Sons, 1866, Print.
- Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
|
