Alfield Surname, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

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Alfield is a name whose history on English soil dates back to the wave of migration that followed the Norman Conquest of England of 1066. The Alfield family lived in Oldfield, Cheshire. This is a topographical name whose derivation is just as it looks. The original bearer of the name Oldfield would have been distinguished by residence near to an old field. Individual cases of the name may also spring from residence in a place which bears the name Oldfield for the same reasons as above.

Alfield Early Origins

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The surname Alfield was first found in Cheshire where "Guy de Provence, who came to this country [England] in the suite of Eleanor, on her marriage to King Henry III in 1236, married Alice, sister of Sir Patrick de Hartwell, and with her obtained the manor and lands of Oldfield, co. Chester. Their grandson, Richard, was the first who assumed the name De Oldfield." Today, the hamlet of Oldfield is part of Gayton, a village in Wirral, Merseyside.

Alfield Spelling Variations

A multitude of spelling variations characterize Norman surnames. Many variations occurred because Old and Middle English lacked any definite spelling rules. The introduction of Norman French to England also had a pronounced effect, as did the court languages of Latin and French. Therefore, one person was often referred to by several different spellings in a single lifetime. The various spellings include Oldfield, Oldefield, Oldfeild and others.

Alfield Early History

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Alfield research. Another 199 words (14 lines of text) covering the years 1236, 1552, 1585, 1929, 1595, 1644, 1624, 1644, 1623, 1664, 1645, 1683 and 1730 are included under the topic Early Alfield History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Alfield Early Notables (pre 1700)

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was Sir Robert de Oldefelde of Oldfield; The Blessed Thomas Aufield (sometimes spelt Alfield) (1552-1585), an English Roman Catholic martyr, born in Gloucestershire, imprisoned and tortured in the Tower of London, beatified in 1929; Sir Samuel Owfield (1595-1644), an English politician...

Another 48 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Alfield Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

The Great Migration

Many English families left England, to avoid the chaos of their homeland and migrated to the many British colonies abroad. Although the conditions on the ships were extremely cramped, and some travelers arrived diseased, starving, and destitute, once in the colonies, many of the families prospered and made valuable contributions to the cultures of what would become the United States and Canada. Research into the origins of individual families in North America has revealed records of the immigration of a number of people bearing the name Alfield or a variant listed above: John Oldfield arrived in Maryland in 1684; Eleanor Oldfield settled in Maryland in 1730; Rhodes Oldfield settled in Philadelphia in 1871.

Motto

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: In cruce vincam
Motto Translation: I shall conquer in the cross.

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Citations

^ Lowe, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.

Other References

Virkus, Frederick A. Ed. Immigrant Ancestors A List of 2,500 Immigrants to America Before 1750. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing, 1964. Print.
Bowman, George Ernest. The Mayflower Reader A Selection of Articales from The Mayflower Descendent. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing. Print.
Magnusson, Magnus. Chambers Biographical Dictionary 5th edition. Edinburgh: W & R Chambers, 1990. Print.
Elster, Robert J. International Who's Who. London: Europa/Routledge. Print.
Burke, Sir Bernard. Burke's Genealogical and Heraldic History of the Landed Gentry: Including American Families with British Ancestry. (2 Volumes). London: Burke Publishing, 1939. Print.
Hanks, Patricia and Flavia Hodges. A Dictionary of Surnames. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1988. Print. (ISBN 0-19-211592-8).
Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds. Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8).
The Norman People and Their Existing Descendants in the British Dominions and the United States Of America. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing, 1975. Print. (ISBN 0-8063-0636-X).
Innes, Thomas and Learney. The Tartans of the Clans and Families of Scotland 1st Edition. Edinburgh: W & A. K. Johnston Limited, 1938. Print.
Skordas, Guest. Ed. The Early Settlers of Maryland an Index to Names or Immigrants Complied from Records of Land Patents 1633-1680 in the Hall of Records Annapolis, Maryland. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing, 1968. Print.
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The Alfield Family Crest was acquired from the Houseofnames.com archives. The Alfield Family Crest was drawn according to heraldic standards based on published blazons. We generally include the oldest published family crest once associated with each surname.

This page was last modified on 29 June 2015 at 10:34.