Adderborrow History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

Early Origins of the Adderborrow family

The surname Adderborrow was first found in Oxfordshire at either East Adderbury or West Adderbury, Saxon villages and civil parishes that date back to c. 950 when there were listed collectively as Eadburggebyrig. Over one hundred years later in the Domesday Book of 1086, they were listed as Edburgberie and were held by Robert from Robert of Stafford, a Norman noble. 1

Literally the place names mean "stronghold of a woman called Eadburh," from the Old English personal name + "burh." 2

Another reference claims the place name was derived from St. Edburgh, to whom many religious establishments in this part of the country were dedicated. In the court rolls of New College, Oxford, the placename is written as Ebberbury. "Donnington Castle [in Donnington, Berkshire], built by Sir Richard de Abberbury, who was guardian to Richard II. in his minority, stood upon a declivity, at the foot of which runs the river Kennet. It was garrisoned for Charles I., and withstood two sieges during the civil war, in the first of which three of its towers were demolished, and in 1644 it was almost battered down by Colonel Dalbier, from whom a field in the vicinity, in which he planted his cannon, is still named. The only remains of this once impregnable fortress consist of a gateway flanked by two towers, a great portion of the ruins having been removed for the erection of a house near the site. A friary of the order of the Holy Trinity was also founded by Sir Richard de Abberbury. An hospital, called God's House, is supposed to have been founded, in 1392, by the same individual." 3

Early History of the Adderborrow family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Adderborrow research. Another 60 words (4 lines of text) covering the years 1654, 1656, 1660, 1663, 1693, 1713, 1723, 1731, 1732, 1773, 1775, 1778 and 1780 are included under the topic Early Adderborrow History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Adderborrow Spelling Variations

Endless spelling variations are a prevailing characteristic of Norman surnames. Old and Middle English lacked any definite spelling rules, and the introduction of Norman French added an unfamiliar ingredient to the English linguistic stew. French and Latin, the languages of the court, also influenced spellings. Finally, Medieval scribes generally spelled words according to how they sounded, so one person was often referred to by different spellings in different documents. The name has been spelled Adderbury, Atterbury, AdderBerry, Adderberrie, Adderborrow, Adderbry and many more.

Early Notables of the Adderborrow family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was Lewis Atterbury DD the Elder (died 1693), Rector of Great or Broad Risington in Gloucestershire in 1654, Chaplain to Henry, Duke of Gloucester in 1660; and his son, Francis Atterbury (1663-1732), English man of letters, politician and Bishop of...
Another 46 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Adderborrow Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Adderborrow family

To escape the political and religious persecution within England at the time, many English families left for the various British colonies abroad. The voyage was extremely difficult, though, and the cramped, dank ships caused many to arrive in the New World diseased and starving. But for those who made it, the trip was most often worth it. Many of the families who arrived went on to make valuable contributions to the emerging nations of Canada and the United States. An inquiry into the early roots of North American families reveals a number of immigrants bearing the name Adderborrow or a variant listed above: Thomas Adderby, who came to Virginia in 1637.

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)
Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.