| ![Show Contents]() Dewes History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
Etymology of DewesWhat does the name Dewes mean? The name Dewes can be traced to the ancient Celtic culture of Wales. The surname Dewes is derived from the Welsh word "tew," which means "portly" or "plump," and was most likely originally a nickname for a heavy-set person. Early Origins of the Dewes familyThe surname Dewes was first found in Cardiganshire (Welsh: Sir Aberteifi), the former Kingdom of Ceredigion, created as a county in 1282 by Edward I, and located on the West coast of Wales, where they held a family seat anciently. Traditionally they claim descent from Rhodri Mawr, the first great King of Wales through Lord Rhys, Prince of South Wales. Gwenllian, daughter of John Tew married Dafydd Llywellyn Lloyd of Castle Howel, first knight of the shire for Cardiganshire. Early History of the Dewes familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Dewes research. Another 34 words (2 lines of text) covering the years 1650, 1654, 1695, 1714, 1715 and 1718 are included under the topic Early Dewes History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Dewes Spelling VariationsAlthough there are comparatively few Welsh surnames, they have a great many spelling variations. Variations of Welsh names began almost immediately after their acceptance within Welsh society. In the Middle Ages, it was up to priests and the few other people that recorded names in official documents to decide how to spell the names that they heard. Variations that occurred because of improper recording increased dramatically as the names were later transliterated into English. The Brythonic Celtic language of Wales, known by natives as Cymraeg, featured many highly inflected sounds that could not be properly captured by the English language. Spelling variations were, however, also carried out according to an individual's design: a branch loyalty within the family, a religious adherence, or even patriotic affiliations were all indicated by the particular variation of one's name. The spelling variations of the name Dewes have included Tew, Tews, Tewell, Tewel, Tuel, Tuell and others. Early Notables of the Dewes familyJohn Tew of Cardigan; Henry Tew (1654-1718), early American 16th Deputy Governor of the Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations (1714-1715); and Thomas Tew (c. 1650-1695), American pirate who gained notoriety in the Red Sea, in the Caribbean, and in Africa where he was involved...
Another 45 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Dewes Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Migration of the Dewes family to IrelandSome of the Dewes family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 39 words (3 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
| Dewes migration to the United States | + |
Many Welsh joined the great migrations to North America in the late 1800s and early 1900s. Like their Scottish and Irish neighbors, many Welsh families left their homeland hoping to find hope and prosperity in a land that the English did not exercise a tight rule over. Those Welsh immigrants that successfully traveled to North America went on to make significant contributions to the rapid development of both Canada and the United States in terms of the settling of land and the establishment of industry. They also added to the rich cultural heritage of both countries. An examination into the immigration and passenger lists has discovered a number of people bearing the name Dewes:
Dewes Settlers in United States in the 17th Century- Nicho Dewes, who arrived in Virginia in 1657 1
| Contemporary Notables of the name Dewes (post 1700) | + |
- Virginia W. Dewes, American Democratic Party politician, Delegate to Democratic National Convention from New York, 1980 2
- John Gordon Dewes (1926-2015), English cricketer, who played for Cambridge University and Middlesex
- Sir Simonds d'Ewes (1602-1650), English antiquary
- 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)
- The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, November 17) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
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