Widdowson History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

The name Widdowson was originally a baptismal name as in "the son of Wydo" which is English for Guido or Guy 1 or it was an Old English name derived from "widuwe, widewe (widow)" 2

Early Origins of the Widdowson family

The surname Widdowson was first found in Norfolk where William filius Wydo was listed there in the Hundredorum Rolls of 1279. The same roll lists Reginald filius Wydonis in Hunts county. Other early variants of the name include Thomas Wydowe who was listed during the reign of Richard II (1367-1400) and much later Annabella Wydow was listed in the Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379. This latter listing is quite unique as at this time, female entries were very rare. 1

Another source notes Richard Wyduesone listed in the Subsidy Rolls for Bedfordshire in 1309; Peter la Wydewesone in the Feet of Fines for Essex in 1326; John la Wydewesone in the Subsidy Rolls for Derbyshire in 1327; and William le Wydusone in the Subsidy Rolls for Staffordshire in 1332. 2

Early History of the Widdowson family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Widdowson research. Another 111 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1279, 1297, 1481, 1502, 1505, 1576, 1588, 1594, 1595, 1603, 1604, 1619, 1645, 1732, 1898 and 1990 are included under the topic Early Widdowson History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Widdowson Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Widdow, Wyddow, Wyddowson, Widdowson, Widdas, Widders, Widdis, Widwise, Widdars, Widow, Widows, Widdos, Widdoes and many more.

Early Notables of the Widdowson family

Distinguished members of the family include

William Widdowson was British sheriff, who held the joint position of Sheriff of Nottingham, England from 1594 to 1595

Widdowson migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Widdowson Settlers in United States in the 20th Century

Miss Sarah J. Widdowson, aged 21, British settler who arrived in New York aboard the ship "Cynosure" in 1863

Widdowson migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Widdowson Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Mr. Thomas Widdowson, English convict who was convicted in Liverpool, Merseyside, England for 14 years, transported aboard the "Eliza" on 25th June 1828, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 3
Mr. William Widdowson, English convict who was convicted in Nottingham, Nottinghamshire, England for life, transported aboard the "Camden" on 21st September 1832, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 4

Contemporary Notables of the name Widdowson (post 1700) +

Ralph David Widdowson (1903-1969), American Associate Professor at Pennsylvania State University
A.M Widdowson, English founder of Widdowson Group in 1902, a logistics company
Samuel Weller Widdowson (1851-1927), English footballer and cricketer and played once for the England national football team
Joseph "Joe" Widdowson (b. 1989), English footballer from Forest Gate, England
Albert Widdowson (1864-1938), English cricketer who played for Derbyshire in 1894
Mr. George Widdowson, British sheriff, held the joint position of Sheriff of Nottingham, England from 1578 to 1579
Air Commodore Martin Keith Widdowson (b. 1946), British Royal Air Force pilot, senior Royal Air Force officer, the 24th and last Commandant Royal Observer Corps
Henry Widdowson (b. 1935), British linguist
Elsie Widdowson CH CBE FRS (1908-2000), British dietitian, co-responsible for overseeing the government-mandated addition of vitamins to food and war-time rationing in Britain during World War II
Frederick Widdowson Doidge GCMG (1884-1954), journalist in New Zealand and England and a National Party member in the New Zealand House of Representatives

Citations +

Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 17th February 2022). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/eliza
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 2nd December 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/camden