Musselwhite History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
The name Musselwhite reached English shores for the first time with the ancestors of the Musselwhite family as they migrated following the Norman Conquest of 1066. The Musselwhite family lived in Yorkshire, at Micklethwaite, an area of Wetherby on the south bank of the River Wharfe. Micklethwaite is also a hamlet in Cumbria, north east of Wigton.
Early Origins of the Musselwhite family
The surname Musselwhite was first found in Yorkshire where they were conjecturally descended from the great Norman house of Buron, and was represented by Erneis de Buron, who held the lands of Micklethwaite or Muceltuit at the taking of the Domesday Book in the year 1086. The Micklewright variant was a nickname for "'the mickle wright,' i.e. the big wright." 1
The Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379 list: Adam de Mekkclhawayth; Magota Mekkelwayth; Johanna de Mickilwayte; and William de Mickilwayte as all living in Yorkshire and holding lands at that time.
Micklethwaite-Grange is a very small liberty in the Upper division of the wapentake of Barkstone-Ash, in the West Riding of Yorkshire. And today, the town of Micklethwaite is a suburb of Bingley in the West Riding of Yorkshire. "This place is one of the thirty-two lordships granted by the Conqueror to Erneis de Berun." 2
Early History of the Musselwhite family
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Musselwhite research. Another 83 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1612, 1680, 1682, 1718, 1727 and 1734 are included under the topic Early Musselwhite History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Musselwhite Spelling Variations
Before the advent of the printing press and the first dictionaries, the English language was not standardized. Sound was what guided spelling in the Middle Ages, so one person's name was often recorded under several variations during a single lifetime. Spelling variations were common, even among the names of the most literate people. Known variations of the Musselwhite family name include Muclewaite, Micklethwait, Micklethwayt, Micklethwaite, Muclethwait, Muclethwaite, Muclethwayte and many more.
Early Notables of the Musselwhite family
Outstanding amongst the family at this time was Sir William Micklethwaite; Sir John Micklethwaite M.D. (1612-1682), an English physician, who attended Charles II, President of the Royal College of...
Another 28 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Musselwhite Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Musselwhite Ranking
In the United States, the name Musselwhite is the 16,054th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 3
Musselwhite migration to the United States +
To escape the political and religious chaos of this era, thousands of English families began to migrate to the New World in search of land and freedom from religious and political persecution. The passage was expensive and the ships were dark, crowded, and unsafe; however, those who made the voyage safely were encountered opportunities that were not available to them in their homeland. Many of the families that reached the New World at this time went on to make important contributions to the emerging nations of the United States and Canada. Research into various historical records has revealed some of first members of the Musselwhite family to immigrate North America:
Musselwhite Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
- John Musselwhite, from Wiltshire, who arrived in New England aboard the ship "James" in 1635, bound for Newbury 4
- John Musselwhite, who landed in Newbury, Massachusetts in 1635 5
Musselwhite Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
- John Musselwhite, aged 20, who arrived in Ellis Island, New York aboard the ship "Corinthian" in 1850 6
- J. Musselwhite, aged 22, who arrived in Ellis Island, New York aboard the ship "Illinois" in 1856 6
- Fred Musselwhite, aged 21, who arrived in Ellis Island, New York aboard the ship "Samaria" in 1873 6
- Sarah Musselwhite, aged 20, who arrived in Ellis Island, New York aboard the ship "Samaria" in 1873 6
- Emma Musselwhite, aged 24, who arrived in Ellis Island, New York aboard the ship "Spain" in 1882 6
- ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
Musselwhite Settlers in United States in the 20th Century
- Arthur T. Musselwhite, aged 50, who landed in America, in 1907
- Eddie Musselwhite, aged 9, who immigrated to the United States from Wilton, England, in 1914
- Florence Musselwhite, aged 39, who landed in America from Wilton, England, in 1914
- Hilda Musselwhite, aged 7, who immigrated to the United States from Wilton, England, in 1914
- Frederick Musselwhite, aged 39, who landed in America from New Cress, England, in 1918
- ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
Musselwhite migration to Canada +
Some of the first settlers of this family name were:
Musselwhite Settlers in Canada in the 20th Century
- Eddie Musselwhite, aged 12, who immigrated to Vancouver, B.C., in 1914
- Sidney Frank Musselwhite, aged 37, who immigrated to Vancouver, B.C., in 1914
Contemporary Notables of the name Musselwhite (post 1700) +
- Harry W. Musselwhite (1868-1955), American politician from Michigan
- Charlie Musselwhite (b. 1944), American electric blues harmonica player and bandleader, reportedly the inspiration for Dan Aykroyd's character in the Blues Brothers
- Stephen Alan Musselwhite, American Democratic Party politician, Candidate for U.S. Representative from Virginia 6th District, 1992 7
- Ron Musselwhite, American Republican politician, Chair of Lane County Republican Party, 2011 7
- R. C. Musselwhite, American Democratic Party politician, Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Texas, 1956 7
- Mark E. Musselwhite (b. 1966), American Republican politician, Mayor of Gainesville, Georgia, 2006 7
- Harry Webster Musselwhite (1868-1955), American Democratic Party politician, U.S. Representative from Michigan 9th District, 1933-35; Defeated, 1934 7
- William Ralph Musselwhite CVO (1887-1956), English clergyman, Archdeacon of Oakham (1953–1956)
- Paul Musselwhite (b. 1968), English football goalkeeper and goalkeeper's coach from Portsmouth
- David Musselwhite (1940-2010), Welsh literary critic
The Musselwhite 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: Favent numine
Motto Translation: By the favour of Providence.
Citations +
- Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
- Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
- "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
- Pilgrim Ship's of 1600's Retrieved January 6th 2023, retrieved from https://www.packrat-pro.com/ships/shiplist.htm
- Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
- Ellis Island Search retrieved 9th February 2023. Retrieved from https://heritage.statueofliberty.org/passenger-result
- The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, November 17) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html