Clewes History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

Etymology of Clewes

What does the name Clewes mean?

The ancient roots of the Clewes family name are in the Anglo-Saxon culture. The name Clewes comes from when the family lived in Cheshire in an area that was described by the Old English word as cloh, which means that the bearers of this surname lived near a ravine or hollow. It also could be described as the place that was set back from the town or village.

Early Origins of the Clewes family

The surname Clewes was first found in Yorkshire where the first record of the family was Willelmus de Clowe who was listed in the Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379. 1

Early History of the Clewes family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Clewes research. Another 122 words (9 lines of text) covering the years 1450, 1543, 1582, 1595, 1604, 1605, 1616, 1645, 1648, 1649 and 1725 are included under the topic Early Clewes History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Clewes Spelling Variations

One relatively recent invention that did much to standardize English spelling was the printing press. However, before its invention even the most literate people recorded their names according to sound rather than spelling. The spelling variations under which the name Clewes has appeared include Clowes, Clowe, Clows and others.

Early Notables of the Clewes family

William Clowes the Elder (c.1543-1604), an early English surgeon and author. He was the "son of Thomas and grandson of Nicholas Clowes, both of Kingsbury in Warwickshire, and great-grandson of Geffrey Clowes of Tutbury in Staffordshire, all of them gentlemen bearing tokens and arms of honour, helm, mantle, and crest. " 2 His son, William Clowes...
Another 54 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Clewes Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Clewes migration to Australia +

Clewes Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Mr. Robert Clewes, English convict who was convicted in Nottingham, Nottinghamshire, England for life, transported aboard the "Baring" in December 1818, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 3
Mr. James Clewes, (b. 1803), aged 25, English brickmaker who was convicted in Newark upon Trent, Nottinghamshire, England for 7 years for stealing, transported aboard the "Eliza" on 25th June 1828, arriving in New South Wales, Australia, he died in 1845 4

Contemporary Notables of the name Clewes (post 1700) +

Howard Clewes (1912-1988), English BAFTA Award nominated screenwriter and novelist, best known for his screenplay The Day They Robbed the Bank of England (1960)
Peter Clewes, Canadian architect and the principal of the Toronto-based firm architectsAlliance

Sources +

Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 16th September 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/baring
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 17th February 2022). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/eliza