Asworthay is a name of ancient
Anglo-Saxon origin and comes from the family once having lived in the chapelry named
Ashworth anciently spelt
Asseheworth in
Lancashire. Despite the small size of this town (only 233 in the 1861 census) many of the surname have flourished since that time.
[1]CITATION[CLOSE]
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)The first part of the name, Ash, was originally given to a person who resided in an area where ash trees flourished. Now there are numerous parishes and townships called Ashworth in many counties and there are also various minor localities of this same name from which smaller lines of the name may have emerged.
Early Origins of the Asworthay family
The surname Asworthay was first found in
Lancashire at Ashworth, a parochial chapelry, in the parish of Middleton, union of Bury,
hundred of Salford. "A family named Ashworth was seated here as early as the 13th century, and appears to have been succeeded by the Holts."
[2]CITATION[CLOSE]
Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
Early History of the Asworthay family
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Asworthay research.
Another 149 words (11 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Asworthay History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Asworthay Spelling Variations
Sound was what guided spelling in the essentially pre-literate Middle Ages, so one person's name was often recorded under several variations during a single lifetime. Also, before the advent of the printing press and the first dictionaries, the English language was not standardized. Therefore,
spelling variations were common, even among the names of the most literate people. Known variations of the Asworthay family name include Ashworth, Asworth, Ashworthe and others.
Early Notables of the Asworthay family (pre 1700)
More information is included under the topic Early Asworthay Notables in all our
PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Migration of the Asworthay family to Ireland
Some of the Asworthay family moved to
Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 78 words (6 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Migration of the Asworthay family to the New World and Oceana
For political, religious, and economic reasons, thousands of English families boarded ships for
Ireland, Canada, the America colonies, and many of smaller tropical colonies in the hope of finding better lives abroad. Although the passage on the cramped, dank ships caused many to arrive in the New World diseased and starving, those families that survived the trip often went on to make valuable contributions to those new societies to which they arrived. Early immigrants bearing the Asworthay surname or a spelling variation of the name include: William Ashworth who settled in Virginia in 1653; Nicholas, Sydney and William Ashworth arrived in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1832 and 1841; along with many more of the name..
The Asworthay 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: Appetitus rationi pareat
Motto Translation: Let your desires obey your reason.