The ancestry of the name Abbett can be traced back to the Anglo-Saxon tribes of Britain. It is a name for a superior of a monastery, an Abbot. The name Abbett may also be a nickname applied to someone who played the part of an abbot in a medieval pageant, or to a person thought to be particularly pious and devout. [1]
The surname Abbett was first found in the counties of Oxfordshire, Huntingdon, Bedfordshire and Cambridge from very ancient times. The family was in this area before the Norman Conquest of England by William, Duke of Normandy in 1066 AD.
Alfwoldus Abbas (1111-1117,) is one such example of a man who was a holder of the monasterial office of Abbot. It is also assumed that the name may have been a source of several more surnames at a later date.
Walter Abat was recorded in The Assize Rolls for Yorkshire in 1219. Peter le Abbot (the Abbot) of Essex is documented in the records of the Hornchurch priory, and is also mention of Ralph Abbod in the Assize Rolls for Somerset in 1272. [2]
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Abbett research. Another 58 words (4 lines of text) covering the years 1306, 1577, 1912, 1565, 1642, 1562, 1633, 1612, 1633, 1560, 1617, 1603, 1648, 1588, 1662 and 1623 are included under the topic Early Abbett History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Abbett has been spelled many different ways. Before English spelling became standardized over the last few hundred years, spelling variations in names were a common occurrence. As the English language changed in the Middle Ages, absorbing pieces of Latin and French, as well as other languages, the spelling of people's names also changed considerably, even over a single lifetime. Many variations of the name Abbett have been found, including Abbott, Abbot, Abbotts, Abbett, Abbet, Abott and others.
Notables of this surname at this time include: Sir Maurice or Morris Abbot (1565-1642), was an eminent merchant, Governor of the East India Company, and Lord Mayor of London, the fifth and youngest son of Maurice Abbot, a clothworker of Guildford.
George Abbot (1562-1633), Archbishop of Canterbury, the fourth Chancellor of Trinity College, Dublin, between 1612 and 1633. He was one of the translators of the Bible. "His father, Maurice Abbot, was a clothworker of the town. Abbot's parents were staunch Protestants; they had first 'embraced the truth of the Gospel in King Edward's days, and were persecuted for it in...
Another 142 words (10 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Abbett Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Some of the Abbett 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.
In an attempt to escape the chaos experienced in England, many English families boarded overcrowded and diseased ships sailing for the shores of North America and other British colonies. Those families hardy enough, and lucky enough, to make the passage intact were rewarded with land and a social environment less prone to religious and political persecution. Many of these families became important contributors to the young colonies in which they settled. Early immigration and passenger lists have documented some of the first Abbetts to arrive on North American shores: