Wardwell History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

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England

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Wardwell is a name of ancient Norman origin. It arrived in England with the Norman Conquest of 1066. It is a name for a guard having derived from the Old English word ward, meaning guardian or watchman. 1 2

Early Origins of the Wardwell family

The surname Wardwell was first found in Northampton, where they held a family seat from ancient times, and the first on record was Osbert de Varde of Givendale in the year 1130, who was a descendant of Fouques de Vardes of Normandy. His descendent Simon Ward was Governor of Pontefract Castle in 1324. 3

John Warde is mentioned in the Pipe Rolls for Yorkshire in 1194, while in the Hundred Rolls for 1273 there is a William le Warde in Oxford, a Simon le Ward in Buckinghamshire, and two further le Wardes, one in Hampshire and one in Cambridgeshire. 4

Some of the family were found at Barford in Warwickshire. "Barford was for three centuries the residence of the ancestors of Charles Thomas Warde, Esq., now of Clopton, in the county. Of this family was Rowley Warde, an eminent lawyer in the reigns of James and Charles I., commonly called Old Serjeant Warde, and in the parish register styled the Right Worshipful Rowley Warde; who died at the age of 96, about the year 1650. His son, Thomas Warde, barrister at law, served as an officer in the army of Charles at the battle of Edge Hill, and kept the royal flag flying on the top of the church tower here, facing his own house; which caused Cromwell's army after the battle, on its march to Kenilworth Castle, eight miles distant, to fire shots at the tower, the marks of which still remain. Among other relics [in the church of Barford] is a curious tablet of freestone, part of a monument, which the rector, the Rev. William Somerville, has had placed in the wall of the vestry, with this inscription: 'Here lyeth the body of Thomas Warde, Gentleman, parson of Barford, 2d son of Thomas and Martha Warde; he died in 1532.' " 5

Later the name was found further north in Scotland, where "John de Warde was a tenant of the earl of Douglas in the barony of Kilbucho, 1376. Robert Waird was burgess of Stirling in 1601." 6

Early History of the Wardwell family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Wardwell research. Another 147 words (10 lines of text) covering the years 1130, 1165, 1194, 1286, 1290, 1299, 1324, 1553, 1572, 1597, 1617, 1622, 1629, 1638, 1643, 1659, 1662, 1677, 1680, 1681, 1689, 1696, 1710, 1713, 1714, 1715, 1720, 1842, 1845 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Wardwell History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Wardwell Spelling Variations

A multitude of spelling variations characterize Norman surnames. Many variations occurred because Old and Middle English lacked any definite spelling rules. The introduction of Norman French to England also had a pronounced effect, as did the court languages of Latin and French. Therefore, one person was often referred to by several different spellings in a single lifetime. The various spellings include Ward, Warde, Varde and others.

Early Notables of the Wardwell family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was Baron Simon Ward; John Ward (c.1553-1622), a notorious English pirate around the turn of the 17th century; Samuel Ward (1572-1643), an English academic and a master at the University of Cambridge; Andrew Warde (ca 1597-1659), a colonist, judge, farmer, and one of the founding fathers of the Connecticut towns of Weathersfield, Stamford, and Fairfield; Seth Ward (1617-1689), an English mathematician, astronomer, and bishop; John Ward (1629-1681), English vicar of Stratford-upon-Avon (1662...
Another 78 words (6 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Wardwell Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Wardwell family to Ireland

Some of the Wardwell family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 71 words (5 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Wardwell migration to the United States +

Many English families left England, to avoid the chaos of their homeland and migrated to the many British colonies abroad. Although the conditions on the ships were extremely cramped, and some travelers arrived diseased, starving, and destitute, once in the colonies, many of the families prospered and made valuable contributions to the cultures of what would become the United States and Canada. Research into the origins of individual families in North America has revealed records of the immigration of a number of people bearing the name Wardwell or a variant listed above:

Wardwell Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

William Wardwell, who landed in Boston, Massachusetts in 1635 7
Samuel Wardwell, who arrived in New England in 1692 7

Wardwell Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

J H Wardwell, who landed in San Francisco, California in 1851 7
Dr. J. T. Wardwell, aged 48, who immigrated to America, in 1894
J. Frank Wardwell, aged 39, who landed in America, in 1894
F. Wardwell, aged 21, who immigrated to the United States, in 1895

Wardwell Settlers in United States in the 20th Century

H. L. Wardwell, aged 34, who settled in America, in 1904
Edward Wardwell, aged 60, who landed in America, in 1905
Alice D. Wardwell, aged 18, who settled in America, in 1906
Dorothea F. Wardwell, aged 20, who landed in America, in 1907
Henry Wardwell, aged 59, who settled in America, in 1909
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Wardwell migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Wardwell Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century

Mr. James Wardwell U.E. who settled in St. Andrews, Charlotte County, New Brunswick c. 1784 member of the Penobscot Association 8

Contemporary Notables of the name Wardwell (post 1700) +

Walter C. Wardwell (b. 1859), American politician who served as the Mayor of Cambridge
Samuel Wardwell, American man accused of witchcraft during the Salem Witch Trials of 1692
Allen Wardwell (1873-1953), American banking law expert and vice president of the American-Russian Chamber of Commerce in 1929
Daniel Wardwell (1791-1878), U.S. Representative from New York
Irving Wardwell Case (b. 1866), American Republican politician, Garage business; Postmaster; Member of Maine State House of Representatives from Washington County, 1919-20; Member of Maine State Senate 9

The Wardwell 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: Comme je fus
Motto Translation: As I was.