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The ancestry of the name Hardwicke dates from the ancient Anglo-Saxon culture of Britain. It comes from when the family lived in the village of Hardwick near Ashton-cum-Aughton in the county of Yorkshire. The name was originally derived from the Old English word heordewic, when translated refers to the person who dwelled near a sheep farm. 1
The surname Hardwicke was first found in Yorkshire. Some of the family held estates at Ault-Hucknall in Derbyshire in early times. "The manor of Hardwicke lies on the south side of the parish, and on the border of Nottinghamshire, from which it is separated by the river Meden or Mayden. It was granted by King John, in 1203, to Andrew de Beauchamp: the Hardwickes possessed it for six generations; and Elizabeth, daughter of John Hardwicke, Esq., brought it to Sir William Cavendish. The present Hall of Hardwicke was built by the Countess of Shrewsbury in the reign of Elizabeth; its situation is exceedingly picturesque and beautiful, standing in a fine park containing 621 acres of land, embellished with venerable oaks of most gigantic size. " 2
The hamlet of Kytes-Hardwick has an eponymous significance to the family. "The family of 'Herdwick,' a branch of the 'Hastangs,' took their name from this place, and some of them are supposed to have resided here. John de Herdwick, in the time of Edward III., held several offices of distinction, and in the first of Richard II. was one of the justices of the peace for the city of Coventry. Another John de Herdwick aided Richmond, afterwards Henry VII., at the battle of Bosworth-Field, and, it is said, by his good conduct as a guide to the army, got the earl the advantage in that fight 'of the ground, winde, and sunne.' The manor, at this period called Herdwick-Grembald, was conveyed by him, in marriage with one of his daughters, to William Dingley." 2
Early feudal rolls provided the king of the time a method of cataloguing holdings for taxation, but today they provide a glimpse into the wide surname spellings in use at that time. Robert de Herdewyk was listed in Cambridgeshire and Huntingdonshire, Henry III-Edward I, as was Henry de Herdewyk. 3
The Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 included: Ermina de Herdwych, Cambridgeshire. Later the Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379 listed Alicia de Hardwyk; Agnes de Herdewik and Robertus de Hardewyk. 4 Anketill de Herdewic was listed in the Assize Rolls for Warwickshire in 1221 and Richard de la Herdewyk was registered in Somerset in 1243. 5
"The Hardwicks are established in various parts of England, and in most cases they have taken the name of a place in the county." 6
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Hardwicke research. Another 78 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1525, 1527, 1580, 1599, 1608, 1609 and 1621 are included under the topic Early Hardwicke History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Spelling variations in names were a common occurrence before English spelling was standardized a few hundred years ago. In the Middle Ages, even the literate spelled their names differently as the English language incorporated elements of French, Latin, and other European languages. Many variations of the name Hardwicke have been found, including Hardwick, Hardwicke, Hartwick, Hartwicke and others.
Notables of the family at this time include Elizabeth Talbot (nee Hardwick) (1527-1608), Countess of Shrewsbury, also known as Bess of Hardwick. She was daughter of John Hardwick of Derbyshire by his wife Elizabeth Leeke.
The Hardwicks had arrived in Derbyshire from Sussex by the mid thirteenth century and farmed land granted by Robert Savage, lord of...
Another 57 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Hardwicke Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Families began migrating abroad in enormous numbers because of the political and religious discontent in England. Often faced with persecution and starvation in England, the possibilities of the New World attracted many English people. Although the ocean trips took many lives, those who did get to North America were instrumental in building the necessary groundwork for what would become for new powerful nations. Some of the first immigrants to cross the Atlantic and come to North America bore the name Hardwicke, or a variant listed above: