{{ad}} |
|
|
The vast movement of people that followed the Norman Conquest of England of 1066 brought the Whitwork family name to the British Isles. They lived in Durham, at Whitworth.
The surname Whitwork was first found in Durham at Whitworth, a parochial chapelry, partly in the union of Auckland.
"According to the Boldon book, this manor was held by Thomas de Acley, by the service of a quarter of a knight's fee; it was afterwards possessed by the Whytworths and the Nevills, and subsequently by the Shafto family. " 1
Alternatively, Whitworth, a chapelry in the parish of Rochdale, Lancashire may be a possibility. "The manor was granted by 'divers donators' to the convent of Stanlow in Cheshire, in the reign of John; among these donors was Sir John de Elland, parcener of the lordship of Rochdale, who gave one moiety of the manor. " 1
Another source notes "Whitworth, Lancashire was Whyteword in the 13th cent., Wyteworth and Whiteworth in the 14th century. " 2
As the Durham locale is clearly the oldest and mention is made of the family holding the manor in very early days, we suggest that this locale is the more likely place of origin for the family.
As to confirm this supposition, Lower notes "chapelries in Durham and Lancashire. The Whitworths of co. Durham were descendants of the Shaftos of Northumberland. " 3
Early records of the family are very scant, but we did find Elyas de Witewurde listed in the Pipe Rolls of Surrey in 1194 and John de Whiteworth in the Feet of Fines for Yorkshire in 1336. 4
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Whitwork research. Another 144 words (10 lines of text) covering the years 1615, 1619, 1635, 1646, 1675, 1704, 1711, 1725 and 1815 are included under the topic Early Whitwork History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
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 Witworth, Whitworth and others.
Outstanding amongst the family at this time was Charles Whitworth, 1st Baron Whitworth (1675-1725), a British diplomat, Ambassador Extraordinary to Russia in 1704. He was the...
Another 26 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Whitwork Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
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 Whitwork or a variant listed above: Alice Whitworth and her husband who settled in New England in 1775; Joshua Whitworth settled in Philadelphia in 1859; Sarah Whitworth arrived in New York in 1823..