Clatwith History, Family Crest & Coats of ArmsThe ancestors of the name Clatwith date back to the days of the Anglo-Saxon tribes of Britain. The name is derived from their residence in Clatworthy, a parish, in the union of Williton, hundred of Williton and Freemanners in Somerset. 1 Early Origins of the Clatwith familyThe surname Clatwith was first found in Somerset, at Clatworthy, a village and civil parish in the West Somerset District which dates back to the Domesday Book of 1086 when it was first listed as Clateurde. 2 By 1243, the place name had evolved to Clatewurthy and the place name literally means "enclosure where burdock grows." 3 Clatworthy Camp is an Iron Age hill fort 3 miles (4.8 km) North West of Wiveliscombe in Somerset. Early History of the Clatwith familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Clatwith research. Another 51 words (4 lines of text) covering the years 1327, 1617, 1626, 1630, 1634, 1640, 1646, 1665, 1680 and 1683 are included under the topic Early Clatwith History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Clatwith Spelling VariationsClatwith has been spelled many different ways. Before English spelling became standardized over the last few hundred years, spelling variations in names were a common occurrence. As the English language changed in the Middle Ages, absorbing pieces of Latin and French, as well as other languages, the spelling of people's names also changed considerably, even over a single lifetime. Many variations of the name Clatwith have been found, including Clatworthy, Cloteworthy, Clotworthy, Clatworth and others. Early Notables of the Clatwith familyNotables of this surname at this time include: John Cloteworthy, a prominent 14th century landholder in Somerset; Sir Hugh Clotworthy (died 1630), High Sheriff of Antrim; and his son, John Clotworthy, 1st Viscount Massereene (died 1665), an Anglo-Irish politician. They were descended from the Devonshire family of that name. Sir John
was one of the largest landowners in the county of Antrim (Aphorismical Discovery, i. 335), and appears as the representative of those who held under the charter of... Migration of the Clatwith family to IrelandSome of the Clatwith family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt. Migration of the Clatwith familyIn an attempt to escape the chaos experienced in England, many English families boarded overcrowded and diseased ships sailing for the shores of North America and other British colonies. Those families hardy enough, and lucky enough, to make the passage intact were rewarded with land and a social environment less prone to religious and political persecution. Many of these families became important contributors to the young colonies in which they settled. Early immigration and passenger lists have documented some of the first Clatwiths to arrive on North American shores: Matthew Clatworthy, who sailed to Virginia in 1635 and Roger Clatworth sailed to Virginia in 1654.
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