In ancient
Anglo-Saxon England, the ancestors of the Astwude surname lived in the county of Salop where they were found since the early Middle Ages. Their name means
at the wood, from
atte wood. The original bearer, therefore, would have lived
at the edge of a wood.Early Origins of the Astwude family
The surname Astwude was first found in the county of Salop where they held a
family seat from very ancient times, and had retained their estates despite the
Norman invasion of
England by Duke William of
Normandy in 1066 A.D.
Early History of the Astwude family
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Astwude research.
Another 143 words (10 lines of text) covering the years 1600, 1903, 1643, 1712, 1650, 1712 and 1701 are included under the topic Early Astwude History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Astwude Spelling Variations
It is only in the last few
hundred years that the English language has been standardized. For that reason, early
Anglo-Saxon surnames like Astwude 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 Astwude include: Attwood, Atwood, Attewood, Atwode, Athwood and many more.
Early Notables of the Astwude family (pre 1700)
Another 46 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Astwude Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Migration of the Astwude family to the New World and Oceana
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 Astwude or a variant listed above: Thomas Attwood who settled in Virginia in 1663; Joane Attwood settled in Barbados in 1664; Richard Attwood settled in Barbados (with his wife and servant) in 1680. In Newfoundland, Esau, was the owner of a fishing room at Pond Island, Greenspond Harbour, in 1778.