Bridgwater History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

Etymology of Bridgwater

What does the name Bridgwater mean?

The ancestors of the bearers of the Bridgwater family name are thought have lived in ancient Anglo-Saxon England. They were first found at Bridgewater, a seaport in Somerset.

Early Origins of the Bridgwater family

The surname Bridgwater was first found in Somerset where they held a family seat from very ancient times, some say well before the Norman Conquest and the arrival of Duke William at Hastings in 1066 A.D.

Early History of the Bridgwater family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Bridgwater research. Another 64 words (5 lines of text) covering the years 1532, 1556, 1563 and 1596 are included under the topic Early Bridgwater History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Bridgwater Spelling Variations

Until quite recently, the English language has lacked a definite system of spelling rules. Consequently, Anglo-Saxon surnames are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. Changes in Anglo-Saxon names were influenced by the evolution of the English language, as it incorporated elements of French, Latin, and other languages. Although Medieval scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded, so it is common to find one person referred to by several different spellings of his surname, even the most literate people varied the spelling of their own names. Variations of the name Bridgwater include Bridgewater, Bridgwater, Bridgewatter and others.

Early Notables of the Bridgwater family

John Bridgewater (1532?-1596?), an English Catholic divine, the Latinized form of whose name is Aquepontanus. He was a native of Yorkshire, though 'descended from those of his name in Somersetshire.' "He received his education at Hart Hall, Oxford, whence he migrated to Brasenose College soon after he had taken his degrees in arts, that of...
Another 55 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Bridgwater Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Bridgwater migration to the United States +

Searching for a better life, many English families migrated to British colonies. Unfortunately, the majority of them traveled under extremely harsh conditions: overcrowding on the ships caused the majority of the immigrants to arrive diseased, famished, and destitute from the long journey across the ocean. For those families that arrived safely, modest prosperity was attainable, and many went on to make invaluable contributions to the development of the cultures of the new colonies. Research into the origins of individual families in North America revealed records of the immigration of a number of people bearing the name Bridgwater or a variant listed above:

Bridgwater Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Elizabeth Bridgwater who arrived in New England in 1746

Bridgwater migration to Australia +

Bridgwater Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Mr. Joseph Bridgwater, English convict who was convicted in Stafford, Staffordshire, England for life, transported aboard the "Blundell" on 13th March 1844, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 1

Contemporary Notables of the name Bridgwater (post 1700) +

Peter Bridgwater (1935-2005), American first president of the San Jose Clash
Emma Frith "Emmy" Bridgwater (1906-1999), English artist and poet associated with the Surrealist movement

Sources +

Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 25th October 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/blundell