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Dewit is a name that came to England in the 11th century wave of migration that was set off by the Norman Conquest of 1066. Dewit comes from the ancient personal name Julien. The surname of Jowett was a baptismal name which means Julien. 1
Alternatively, the name could have been derived from the French "jouet" which means "play, sport, fun." English records we find both Jouet and Jowet." 2
Another source agrees with this direction. The Magni Rotuli Scaccarii Normanniae lists Geoffry Guuit (or Guet), Normandy, 1180-95. "Matilda Joute, Richard Joyet, William Juet, Engl. c. 1272." 3
The surname Dewit was first found in Cheshire where they held a family seat as Lords of the manor of Bredbury from early times. The lands were granted by William the Conqueror to a Norman noble by the name Jouet, from the Isle of Rhe in France. By the twelfth century they had branched to Ashton-under-Lyme in that same shire.
Early English rolls provide us a glimpse of the spelling variations used through Medieval times. Today we typically need to look beyond the spellings of these entries and concentrate on a phonetic appreciation of the names.
The Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 had only one listing: William Juet, Huntingdonshire. 4 William Jouet was listed in the Assize Rolls for Staffordshire in 1229 and the next year, Richard Jouot was listed in the same county in the Assize Rolls of 1300. In Kent, Goger Guet was found in the Assize Rolls for 1317 and later, Robert Jowet was found in the Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379. 1
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Dewit research. Another 118 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1451, 1452, 1591, 1592, 1613, 1614, 1631, 1639, 1641, 1643, 1675, 1693, 1694, 1701 and 1720 are included under the topic Early Dewit History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Before English spelling was standardized a few hundred years ago, spelling variations of names were a common occurrence. Elements of Latin, Norman French and other languages became incorporated into English throughout the Middle Ages, and name spellings changed even among the literate. The variations of the surname Dewit include Jowett, Jowet, Jowit, Jowitt, Jewett, Jewet, Juet, Jouet, Juett and many more.
Outstanding amongst the family at this time was Nehemiah Jewett (1643-1720), an American colonial politician, Speaker of the Massachusetts House of Representatives (1693-1694) and in 1701; during his tenure, he was responsible for compensating those damaged by the Salem witch trials.
Randal or Randolph Jewett (d. 1675), was an organist and composer, is said to have received the (honorary?) degree of Mus. Bac. at Trinity College, Dublin, and to have studied music under Orlando Gibbons. Jewett was organist of the cathedrals of...
Another 80 words (6 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Dewit Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
In Netherlands, the name Dewit is the 23rd most popular surname with an estimated 25,921 people with that name. 5
In England at this time, the uncertainty of the political and religious environment of the time caused many families to board ships for distant British colonies in the hopes of finding land and opportunity, and escaping persecution. The voyages were expensive, crowded, and difficult, though, and many arrived in North America sick, starved, and destitute. Those who did make it, however, were greeted with greater opportunities and freedoms that they could have experienced at home. Many of those families went on to make important contributions to the young nations in which they settled. Early immigration records have shown some of the first Dewits to arrive on North American shores:
Some of the first settlers of this family name were: