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The Norman Conquest of England in 1066 added many new elements to an already vibrant culture. Among these were thousands of new names. The Waderstown family lived in Lincolnshire, at Waterton.
The surname Waderstown was first found in Lincolnshire where they held a family seat as Lords of the manor of Waterton from the time of the Norman Conquest in 1066. The now abandoned village dated back to the Domesday Book where the lands and manor were held by Fulcric. 1 While there can be doubt that Lincolnshire is the original home of this illustrious family, we must look to Yorkshire to see the family's true achievements. For it was here that Rayner de Waterton was Lord of the manor of Waterton about 1100, Sir Robert Waterton was Master of the Horse to Henry IV., and John Wateron served King Henry V. at Agincourt who served the same office where from this place. 2 An old ballad says "Waterton the banner bore, of famed St. George at Agincourt."
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Waderstown research. Another 79 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1340, 1360, 1409, 1425 and 1460 are included under the topic Early Waderstown History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Norman surnames are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. The frequent changes in surnames are largely due to the fact that the Old and Middle English languages lacked definite spelling rules. The introduction of Norman French to England, as well as the official court languages of Latin and French, also had pronounced influences on the spelling of surnames. Since medieval scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded, rather than adhering to any specific spelling rules, it was common to find the same individual referred to with different spellings. The name has been spelled Watterton, Wateton, Waterton, Watertown and others.
Outstanding amongst the family at this time was Rayner de Waterton, Lord of the manor of Waterton; and Robert Waterton, (c. 1360-1425), the trusted servant of the House of Lancaster under three monarchs, Henry IV, Henry V, and...
Another 37 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Waderstown Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Many English families emigrated to North American colonies in order to escape the political chaos in Britain at this time. Unfortunately, many English families made the trip to the New World 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 stormy Atlantic. Despite these hardships, many of the families prospered and went on to make invaluable contributions to the development of the cultures of the United States and Canada. Early North American immigration records have revealed a number of people bearing the name Waderstown or a variant listed above: J.D. Watertown who landed in New England in 1650; Michael Waterton sailed to Maryland in 1665.