| ![Show Contents]() Witherbee History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
- Origins Available:
 England Witherbee is one of the names that was brought to England in the wave of migration following the Norman Conquest of 1066. The Witherbee family lived at Wetherby in West Yorkshire, a market town and civil parish within the metropolitan borough of the City of Leeds. "The Saxon name of this town, whence the present is obviously deduced, was Wederbi, a term intended to designate its situation on a bend of the river Wharfe." 1 Today in the United States, there are two towns listed: Weatherby, Missouri; and Weatherby Lake, Missouri Early Origins of the Witherbee familyThe surname Witherbee was first found in West Yorkshire where one of the first records was of Ivo de Werreby in 1214; and Richard de Wetherby in 1302. 2 Later the Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379 listed Robertas de Wethirby as living there at that time. 3 Conjecturally the Wetherby family are descended from Ralph of Intwood, who held the lands and village of Intwood from Eudo, Steward to William the Conqueror. Intwood consisted of a church, a mill, nine horses, and thirty sheep, as recorded in the Domesday Book in 1086. 4 Wetherby is mentioned in the Domesday Book of 1086 as Wedrebi, thought to derive from wether- or ram-farm or else meaning "settlement on the bend of a river". 5 Local folklore has it that when heavy snow storms hit the county, Wetherby does not get as much because the "Weather Goes By." Early History of the Witherbee familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Witherbee research. Another 77 words (6 lines of text) covering the year 1461 is included under the topic Early Witherbee History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Witherbee Spelling VariationsBefore English spelling was standardized a few hundred years ago, spelling variations of names were a common occurrence. Elements of Latin, Norman French and other languages became incorporated into English throughout the Middle Ages, and name spellings changed even among the literate. The variations of the surname Witherbee include Wetherby, Weatherby, Wetherbie, Wetherbee, Witherby and many more. Early Notables of the Witherbee familyMore information is included under the topic Early Witherbee Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
 Witherbee migration to the United States | + |
In England at this time, the uncertainty of the political and religious environment of the time caused many families to board ships for distant British colonies in the hopes of finding land and opportunity, and escaping persecution. The voyages were expensive, crowded, and difficult, though, and many arrived in North America sick, starved, and destitute. Those who did make it, however, were greeted with greater opportunities and freedoms that they could have experienced at home. Many of those families went on to make important contributions to the young nations in which they settled. Early immigration records have shown some of the first Witherbees to arrive on North American shores:
Witherbee Settlers in United States in the 20th Century- Frank S. Witherbee, aged 54, who arrived in America, in 1905
- Evelyn Witherbee, aged 21, who arrived in America, in 1910
- Alfredo Witherbee, who arrived in America, in 1911
- Annie E. Witherbee, aged 52, who arrived in America, in 1911
- Beatrice Witherbee, aged 24, who arrived in America, in 1915
- ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
| Contemporary Notables of the name Witherbee (post 1700) | + |
- Austin B. Witherbee, American politician, 10th Mayor of the City of Flint, Michigan (1867-1868)
- Walter C. Witherbee, American Republican politician, Delegate to Republican National Convention from New York, 1912 (alternate), 1916 6
- Frank S. Witherbee, American Republican politician, Delegate to Republican National Convention from New York, 1892, 1900 6
- E. E. Witherbee Jr., American politician, Mayor of Albany, Georgia, 1953 6
- Curley Witherbee, American Democratic Party politician, Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Washington, 1952 6
- Austin B. Witherbee, American politician, Mayor of Flint, Michigan, 1867-68 6
| Historic Events for the Witherbee family | + |
- Master Alfred Scott Witherbee Jr., American 1st Class Passenger from New York, New York, USA, who sailed aboard the RMS Lusitania (1915) and died in the sinking 7
- Mrs. Beatrice Wilhemena Theodora Witherbee, American 1st Class Passenger from New York, New York, USA, who sailed aboard the RMS Lusitania (1915) and survived the sinking 7
- Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
- Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
- Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
- 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)
- The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, November 17) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
- Lusitania Passenger List - The Lusitania Resource. (Retrieved 2014, March 6) . Retrieved from http://www.rmslusitania.info/lusitania-passenger-list/
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Witherbee migration to the United States 
