Today's generation of the Cowdery family bears a name that was brought to
England by the migration wave that was started by the
Norman Conquest of 1066. The Cowdery family lived in Berkshire. The name, however, refers to the area of Cordray, in Eure,
Normandy, where the family lived prior to the
Norman Conquest of
England in 1066.
Early Origins of the Cowdery family
The surname Cowdery was first found in Berkshire, where they held a
family seat from very early times and were granted lands by Duke William of
Normandy, their liege Lord, for their distinguished assistance at the Battle of Hastings in 1066 A.D.
Early History of the Cowdery family
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Cowdery research.
Another 69 words (5 lines of text) covering the years 1588 and 1664 are included under the topic Early Cowdery History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Cowdery Spelling Variations
Before the last few
hundred years the English language had no fixed system of spelling rules. For that reason,
spelling variations occurred commonly in Anglo Norman surnames. Over the years, many variations of the name Cowdery were recorded, including Cowdrey, Cowdray, Cowderey, Cowderoy, Corderoy, Cordroy, Cowdroy, Cowdry, Cowdery and many more.
Early Notables of the Cowdery family (pre 1700)
More information is included under the topic Early Cowdery Notables in all our
PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Migration of the Cowdery family to the New World and Oceana
The unstable environment in
England at this time caused numerous families to board ships and leave in search of opportunity and freedom from persecution abroad in places like
Ireland,
Australia, and particularly the New World. The voyage was extremely difficult, however, and only taken at great expense. The cramped conditions and unsanitary nature of the vessels caused many to arrive diseased and starving, not to mention destitute from the enormous cost. Still opportunity in the emerging nations of Canada and the United States was far greater than at home and many went on to make important contributions to the cultures of their adopted countries. An examination of many early immigration records reveals that people bearing the name Cowdery arrived in North America very early:
Cowdery Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
- William Cowdery, who settled in Virginia in 1656
- William Cowdery, who landed in Virginia in 1656 [1]CITATION[CLOSE]
Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8) - Edward Cowdery, who arrived in Maryland or Virginia in 1665 [1]CITATION[CLOSE]
Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
Contemporary Notables of the name Cowdery (post 1700)
- Mae Virginia Cowdery (1909-1953), African-American poet and participant in the Harlem Renaissance
- Warren A. Cowdery (1788-1851), American editor of the Latter Day Saints' Messenger and Advocate
- Oliver H. P. Cowdery (1806-1850), American Latter Day Saint apostle, the Second Elder of the church
- John J. Cowdery (1930-2013), American politician, Republican member of the Alaska Senate (2001-2009)
- L. E. Cowdery, American politician, Mayor of Rochester, Minnesota, 1879-80 [2]CITATION[CLOSE]
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, November 13) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html - John Cowdery (b. 1930), American Republican politician, Member of Alaska State House of Representatives, 1983-84, 1997-2000; Member of Alaska State Senate, 2000-09 [2]CITATION[CLOSE]
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, November 13) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html - Jabez F. Cowdery, American politician, Member of California State Assembly, 1873-75, 1880-81 [2]CITATION[CLOSE]
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, November 13) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html - Benjamin R. Cowdery, American politician, Secretary of State of Nebraska, 1889-91; Appointed 1889 [2]CITATION[CLOSE]
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, November 13) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html - Nicholas Richard Cowdery AM QC (b. 1946), Director of Public Prosecutions for the Australian state of New South Wales
- Sir John Cowdery Kendrew CBE, FRS (1917-1997), English biochemist and crystallographer who shared the 1962 Nobel Prize in Chemistry