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The name Wuiderof is part of the ancient legacy of the Anglo-Saxon tribes of Britain. It is a product of when the family lived in Yorkshire. Their name, however, derives from the woodrofe plant, a white flower whose leaves bear a sweet scent. The name indicates that the original bearer lived in an area in which the woodrofe was common. 1
Alternatively, the name could have been derived from "Woodreve, the woodman, the forester of the Midland Counties." 1 2
The surname Wuiderof was first found in Yorkshire where they held a family seat at Bolton upon Dearne, before and after the Norman Conquest in 1066. "The place became the residence of several families of some consideration, and seems to have been from early times a rich and flourishing spot." 3
The Hundredorum Rolls or 1273 proved the wide use of the name with early spellings throughout ancient England: John Woderove, Oxfordshire; Robert Woderove, Huntingdonshire; and Henry Woderove, Lincolnshire. The Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379 included and entry for Thomas Woderoue. 4
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Wuiderof research. Another 98 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1551, 1554, 1574, 1638, 1646, 1656, 1660, 1669, 1672, 1679, 1685, 1711, 1734, 1766, 1768, 1803, 1807, 1821, 1824, 1830, 1841, 1851, 1852, 1855, 1856 and 1865 are included under the topic Early Wuiderof History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
The first dictionaries that appeared in the last few hundred years did much to standardize the English language. Before that time, spelling variations in names were a common occurrence. The language was changing, incorporating pieces of other languages, and the spelling of names changed with it. Wuiderof has been spelled many different ways, including Woodrow, Woderove, Woodrof, Woodrofe, Wodrow, Woodroffe, Woodruff, Woodrufe and many more.
Notables of this surname at this time include: Robert Wodrow (1679-1734), a Scottish historian from Glasgow. He was the "second son of James Wodrow, professor of divinity in the University of Glasgow. " 5
Benjamin Woodroffe (1638-1711), was an English divine, son of the Rev. Timothy Woodroffe, born in Canditch Street, St. Mary Magdalen parish, Oxford. "He was educated at Westminster school, and was elected to Christ Church...
Another 67 words (5 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Wuiderof Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Another 43 words (3 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Thousands of English families in this era began to emigrate the New World in search of land and freedom from religious and political persecution. Although the passage was expensive and the ships were dark, crowded, and unsafe, those who made the voyage safely were rewarded with opportunities unavailable to them in their homeland. Research into passenger and immigration lists has revealed some of the very first Wuiderofs to arrive in North America: John Woodruff, who arrived in Lynn, MA in 1640; Matthew Woodruff, who arrived in Hartford, CT in 1640;Robert and Richard Woodruffe settled in Virginia in 1643.