Show ContentsAlderbay History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Alderbay is one of the thousands of new names that the Norman Conquest brought to England in 1066. The Alderbay family lived in Suffolk where they were first established as Lords of the Manor of Aldborough.

Early Origins of the Alderbay family

The surname Alderbay was first found in Suffolk where they held a family seat as Lords of the Manor of Aldborough. At the taking of the Domesday Book survey in 1086, a census of England initiated by Duke William of Normandy after his conquest of England in 1066, Aldborough was held by Norman from his chief tenants, the Abbot of Ely and Robert Malet's mother. Conjecturally the family name is descended from this source. At this time, Aldborough consisted of a village with two churches.

John de Dalderby (d. 1320), Bishop of Lincoln, "took his name from, and perhaps was born in, a small village near Horncastle, Lincolnshire, now united with Scrivelsby. The first mention of him occurs as canon of St. David's. He became archdeacon of Carmarthen in 1283 (Wharton, Anglia Sacra). He was appointed chancellor of Lincoln Cathedral and head of the theological school there, which had obtained high reputation at this period. " 1

Early History of the Alderbay family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Alderbay research. Another 108 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1371, 1500, 1584, 1617, 1630 and 1712 are included under the topic Early Alderbay History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Alderbay Spelling Variations

Multitudes of spelling variations are a hallmark of Anglo Norman names. Most of these names evolved in the 11th and 12th century, in the time after the Normans introduced their own Norman French language into a country where Old and Middle English had no spelling rules and the languages of the court were French and Latin. To make matters worse, medieval scribes spelled words according to sound, so names frequently appeared differently in the various documents in which they were recorded. The name was spelled Aldborough, Alderborough, Aldbrough, Aldbrow, Aldeborough, Aldburc, Aldburgh, Aldberg, Elderborough, Alborough, Albrough and many more.

Early Notables of the Alderbay family

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

Migration of the Alderbay family

Because of this political and religious unrest within English society, many people decided to immigrate to the colonies. Families left for Ireland, North America, and Australia in enormous numbers, traveling at high cost in extremely inhospitable conditions. The New World in particular was a desirable destination, but the long voyage caused many to arrive sick and starving. Those who made it, though, were welcomed by opportunities far greater than they had known at home in England. Many of these families went on to make important contributions to the emerging nations of Canada and the United States. Analysis of immigration records indicates that some of the first North American immigrants bore the name Alderbay or a variant listed above: John Aldburgh who settled in Massachusetts in 1634.



  1. Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print


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