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In ancient Anglo-Saxon England, the ancestors of the Prestwick surname lived in Prestwick, Northumberland, or in Prestwich, in Cheshire. Prestwich is now part of Greater Manchester. The place names Prestwick and Prestwich have an identical etymology; they are derived from the Old English words preost, which meant priest, and wic, which meant farm. The place names taken as a whole mean "priest's farm."
The surname Prestwick was first found in Lancashire where they held a family seat from early times and their first records appeared on the census rolls taken by the ancient Kings of Britain to determine the rate of taxation of their subjects.
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Prestwick research. Another 85 words (6 lines of text) covering the year 1250 is included under the topic Early Prestwick History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
It is only in the last few hundred years that the English language has been standardized. For that reason, early Anglo-Saxon surnames like Prestwick are characterized by many spelling variations. As the English language changed and incorporated elements of other European languages, even literate people changed the spelling of their names. The variations of the name Prestwick include: Prestwick, Preswick, Preswicke, Prestwich and others.
More information is included under the topic Early Prestwick Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Many English families tired of political and religious strife left Britain for the new colonies in North America. Although the trip itself offered no relief - conditions on the ships were extremely cramped, and many travelers arrived diseased, starving, and destitute - these immigrants believed the opportunities that awaited them were worth the risks. Once in the colonies, many of the families did indeed prosper and, in turn, made significant contributions to the culture and economies of the growing colonies. An inquiry into the early roots of North American families has revealed a number of immigrants bearing the name Prestwick or a variant listed above: Roger Preswicke, who came to New England in 1702; and Thomas Prestwich who settled in Philadelphia in 1868.