| ![Show Contents]() Bowdich History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
- Origins Available:
England
Etymology of BowdichWhat does the name Bowdich mean? The Anglo-Saxon name Bowdich comes from when the family resided in the settlement of Bowditch, an estate in the county of Dorset. 1 The place name literally means "arched bridge ditch." 2 Early Origins of the Bowdich familyThe surname Bowdich was first found in Dorset, in southern England, where they held a family seat from ancient times, long before the Norman Conquest in 1066. "The family of Bowditch anciently held in part a manor and farm in Chardstock, which bore their name. John Bowditch, of Chardstock, gent., had property there in the time of Elizabeth I." 3 Early History of the Bowdich familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Bowdich research. Another 78 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1300, 1554, 1769, 1773, 1791, 1824 and 1838 are included under the topic Early Bowdich History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Bowdich Spelling VariationsBefore English spelling was standardized a few hundred years ago, spelling variations of names were a common occurrence. Elements of Latin, French and other languages became incorporated into English through the Middle Ages, and name spellings changed even among the literate. The variations of the surname Bowdich include Bowditch, Bowdich, Bowdidge and others. Early Notables of the Bowdich family- Thomas Bowdich (1791-1824), was an African traveller, born at Bristol 20 June 1791. His father, Thomas Bowdich, was a hat manufacturer and merchant there, and his mother was one of the Vaughans of Pay...
Migration of the Bowdich familyA great wave of immigration to the New World was the result of the enormous political and religious disarray that struck England at that time. Families left for the New World in extremely large numbers. The long journey was the end of many immigrants and many more arrived sick and starving. Still, those who made it were rewarded with an opportunity far greater than they had known at home in England. These emigrant families went on to make significant contributions to these emerging colonies in which they settled. Some of the first North American settlers carried this name or one of its variants: Walter Bowditch arrived in Philadelphia in 1878; James Bowdidge settled in New England in 1774.
| Contemporary Notables of the name Bowdich (post 1700) | + |
- Thomas Edward Bowdich (1791-1824), English traveler and author in Africa, born at Bristol 20 June 1791, son of Thomas Bowdich, a hat manufacturer and merchant 4
- Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
- Smith, Eldson Coles, New Dictionary of American Family Names New York: Harper & Row, 1956. Print
- Guppy, Henry Brougham, Homes of Family Names in Great Britain. 1890. Print.
- Wikisource contributors. "Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900." Wikisource . Wikisource , 4 Jun. 2018. Web. 5 Feb. 2019
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