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![Show Contents]() Witeworthy History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
The name Witeworthy arrived in England after the Norman Conquest of 1066. The Witeworthy family lived in Durham, at Whitworth. Early Origins of the Witeworthy familyThe surname Witeworthy was first found in Durham at Whitworth, a parochial chapelry, partly in the union of Auckland. "According to the Boldon book, this manor was held by Thomas de Acley, by the service of a quarter of a knight's fee; it was afterwards possessed by the Whytworths and the Nevills, and subsequently by the Shafto family. " 1 Alternatively, Whitworth, a chapelry in the parish of Rochdale, Lancashire may be a possibility. "The manor was granted by 'divers donators' to the convent of Stanlow in Cheshire, in the reign of John; among these donors was Sir John de Elland, parcener of the lordship of Rochdale, who gave one moiety of the manor. " 1 Another source notes "Whitworth, Lancashire was Whyteword in the 13th cent., Wyteworth and Whiteworth in the 14th century. " 2 As the Durham locale is clearly the oldest and mention is made of the family holding the manor in very early days, we suggest that this locale is the more likely place of origin for the family. As to confirm this supposition, Lower notes "chapelries in Durham and Lancashire. The Whitworths of co. Durham were descendants of the Shaftos of Northumberland. " 3 Early records of the family are very scant, but we did find Elyas de Witewurde listed in the Pipe Rolls of Surrey in 1194 and John de Whiteworth in the Feet of Fines for Yorkshire in 1336. 4 Early History of the Witeworthy familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Witeworthy research. Another 144 words (10 lines of text) covering the years 1615, 1619, 1635, 1646, 1675, 1704, 1711, 1725 and 1815 are included under the topic Early Witeworthy History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Witeworthy Spelling VariationsAnglo-Norman names tend to be marked by an enormous number of spelling variations. This is largely due to the fact that Old and Middle English lacked any spelling rules when Norman French was introduced in the 11th century. The languages of the English courts at that time were French and Latin. These various languages mixed quite freely in the evolving social milieu. The final element of this mix is that medieval scribes spelled words according to their sounds rather than any definite rules, so a name was often spelled in as many different ways as the number of documents it appeared in. The name was spelled Witworth, Whitworth and others. Early Notables of the Witeworthy familyOutstanding amongst the family at this time was Charles Whitworth, 1st Baron Whitworth (1675-1725), a British diplomat, Ambassador Extraordinary to Russia in 1704. He was the...
Another 26 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Witeworthy Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.  Migration of the Witeworthy family to Ireland
Some of the Witeworthy family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt. More information about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Migration of the Witeworthy familyBecause of the political and religious discontent in England, families began to migrate abroad in enormous numbers. Faced with persecution and starvation at home, the open frontiers and generally less oppressive social environment of the New World seemed tantalizing indeed to many English people. The trip was difficult, and not all made it unscathed, but many of those who did get to Canada and the United States made important contributions to the young nations in which they settled. Some of the first North American settlers with Witeworthy name or one of its variants: Alice Whitworth and her husband who settled in New England in 1775; Joshua Whitworth settled in Philadelphia in 1859; Sarah Whitworth arrived in New York in 1823..
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.
- Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
- Harrison, Henry, Surnames of the United Kingdom: A Concise Etymological Dictionary Baltimore: Geneological Publishing Company, 2013. Print
- Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
- Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
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England
Ireland
