Cordwin History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

When the ancestors of the Cordwin family arrived in England following the Norman Conquest of 1066, they brought their name with them. It is a name for a maker or purveyor of cord or ribbon. Checking further we found the name was derived from the Old French word corde, which means cord.

In some cases an English local name, also a form of Cardon. The Magni Rotuli Scaccarii Normanniae notes Ralph, Richard, Robert, Paganus Cardon, or Cardun, were of Normandy, 1180-95. 1

Early Origins of the Cordwin family

The surname Cordwin was first found in Essex where William Cardon or Cardun appears in the Domesday Book as one of the homines of Geoffrey de Magnaville. 2

"In 1165 the family was seated in Hants, Norfolk, Beds, and Lincoln, temp. John in Bucks; and 1325, Adam Cardun was M.P. for Nottinghamshire. " 1

Carden in Cheshire is "a township, in the parish of Tilston, union of Great Boughton, Higher division of the hundred of Broxton. A detachment of dragoons from the parliamentary garrison at Nantwich, on the 12th of June, 1643, plundered Carden Hall, and made its owner, John Leche, Esq., a prisoner." 3

The Carden Baronetcy, of Templemore in the County of Tipperary was originally from Cheshire, England, but settled at Templemore in County Tipperary around 1650.

Later some of the family were found in Worcestershire as Robert Corduan held a family seat in that shire in 1221. 4

The Carden Baronetcy, of Wimpole Street in the County of Middlesex and of Molesey in the County of Surrey was created for Sir Robert Walter Carden, 1st Baronet (1801-1888), Lord Mayor of London from 1857 to 1858.

Early History of the Cordwin family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Cordwin research. Another 79 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1327 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Cordwin History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Cordwin Spelling Variations

Endless spelling variations are a prevailing characteristic of Norman surnames. Old and Middle English lacked any definite spelling rules, and the introduction of Norman French added an unfamiliar ingredient to the English linguistic stew. French and Latin, the languages of the court, also influenced spellings. Finally, Medieval scribes generally spelled words according to how they sounded, so one person was often referred to by different spellings in different documents. The name has been spelled Cordon, Cordin, Corden, Cordwin, Cording, Cordwane, Cordwaner, Cordiner, Cordwent, Cordner, Cordiner, Cordwiner, Cordwinner, Cordwainer and many more.

Early Notables of the Cordwin family

More information is included under the topic Early Cordwin Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Cordwin family to Ireland

Some of the Cordwin family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 57 words (4 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 Cordwin family

To escape the political and religious persecution within England at the time, many English families left for the various British colonies abroad. The voyage was extremely difficult, though, and the cramped, dank ships caused many to arrive in the New World diseased and starving. But for those who made it, the trip was most often worth it. Many of the families who arrived went on to make valuable contributions to the emerging nations of Canada and the United States. An inquiry into the early roots of North American families reveals a number of immigrants bearing the name Cordwin or a variant listed above: Edward Cordin settled in Virginia in 1663; James Cordiner settled in Virginia in 1720; Jane Corden arrived in Maryland in 1665.

Citations +

The Norman People and Their Existing Descendants in the British Dominions and the United States Of America. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing, 1975. Print. (ISBN 0-8063-0636-X)
Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)