Atherdent History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

The ancestors of the name Atherdent date back to the Anglo-Saxon tribes of Britain. The name is derived from when the Atherdent family lived in Atherton in the county of Lancashire.

The Adderson, Hetherston, Hetherston and other phonetic variants are thought to have originated in Adderstone, Northumberland, a township, in the parish of Bambrough, union of Belford. 1 This township has gone through many spellings through the ages including: 1233 Edredeston; 1234 Edreston; 1242 Hethereston; 1288 Edderston; 1346 Hetherston, 1428 Ederston and many more. Interesting, this is where the Scottish branch of the family hails. "John de Etherstone of Roxburghshire rendered homage in 1296 [to King Edward I of England] most probably derived his surname from Adderstone (in 1242 Hethereston, 1663 Etherston), near Bamburgh, Northumberland." 2

Early Origins of the Atherdent family

The surname Atherdent was first found in Lancashire at Atherton, a chapelry, in the parish and union of Leigh, hundred of West Derby or the aforementioned Adderstone, Northumberland. 1

Atherton "was held of the barons of Warrington by Robert de Atherton, in the reign of John; and in this knightly family the manor descended through many generations, successively allied to the Byrons, Warrens, Ashtons, Butlers, Catterals, Conyers, Irelands, and Bolds: by the marriage of the late Lord Lilford with the heiress of Atherton, the manor came to his lordship's family.

Atherton Hall, a superb edifice, built by the Atherton family in the early part of the 18th century, at an expense of about £63,000, was taken down in 1825." 1

Atterton, is a small hamlet, in the parish of Witherley, union of Atherstone, hundred of Sparkenhoe, in Leicestershire. 1

Other first records of the name include Robert de Atherton who was Sheriff of Lancashire in the year 1206. His son William de Atherton held a manor at Atherton of the Barons of Warington. Years later, Hugh de Atherton was listed in the Subsidy Rolls of that shire in 1332. 3

Henry de Athertone was listed in the Subsidy Rolls of Lancashire in 1332 and later, William de Atherton was listed there in 1384. Over in Cheshire, Humphrey Addertone alias Athurton was listed in 1470. 4

Early History of the Atherdent family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Atherdent research. Another 88 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1598, 1628, 1634, 1635, 1636, 1640, 1671 and 1721 are included under the topic Early Atherdent History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Atherdent 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 Atherdent 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 Atherdent include: Atherton, Atheron, Hetherston, Adderstone and many more.

Early Notables of the Atherdent family

Distinguished members of the family include John Atherton (1598-1640), English-born Anglican Bishop of Waterford and Lismore in the Church of Ireland. He and his steward and tithe proctor John Childe were both tried and executed for buggery in 1640. He "is believed to have been born at Bawdripp, in Somersetshire, in 1598, where his father. Reverend John Atherton (a canon of St. Paul's), was rector of the parish. In 1635 he became chancellor of Christ Church, and held also the rectories of Killaban and Ballintubride, in the diocese of Leighlin. He was chancellor of Killaloe in 1634. His highest promotion was...
Another 165 words (12 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Atherdent Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Atherdent family

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 Atherdent or a variant listed above: Humphrey Atherton of Preston Lancashire who settled in 1638 in Cambridge, Massachusetts and joined the army and eventually became a Major General. James Atherton settled in New England in 1620. Peter Atheron settled in Virginia in 1663..

Citations +

Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
Black, George F., The Surnames of Scotland Their Origin, Meaning and History. New York: New York Public Library, 1946. Print. (ISBN 0-87104-172-3)
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)