Widmore History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

Early Origins of the Widmore family

The surname Widmore was first found in Somerset at Wedmore, a village and civil parish that dates back to the late 9th century where it was first listed as Wethmore. The Peace of Wedmore or the Treaty of Wedmore is a term referred to the monk Asser's "Life of Alfred," where he detailed how in 878 the Viking leader Guthrum was baptized and accepted Alfred as his adoptive father. While the document has since been lost, reference to it appears in The Treaty of Alfred and Guthrum. In 1853 a hoard of 200 silver coins dating from the Saxon period was found in the churchyard. By the Domesday Book of 1086, the place name had changed to the current spelling of Wedmore and was one of the holdings of the Bishop of Wells with 18 cottages, woodlands, pasture and two fisheries. 1 The place name literally means "marsh used for hunting" from the Old English words "waethe" + "mor." 2

Early History of the Widmore family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Widmore research. Another 51 words (4 lines of text) covering the year 1276 is included under the topic Early Widmore History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Widmore Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Wedmore, Widmore, Wedmor and others.

Early Notables of the Widmore family

More information is included under the topic Early Widmore Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Widmore migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Widmore Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Elizabeth Widmore, who arrived in Maryland in 1676 3

Citations +

Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)