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Dewsbury History Etymology Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables

Contemporary Notables Related Stories Citations

Dewsbury History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

Etymology of Dewsbury

What does the name Dewsbury mean?

The lineage of the name Dewsbury begins with the Anglo-Saxon tribes in Britain. It is a result of when they lived in Dewsbury, a minster town in the Metropolitan Borough of Kirklees, in West Yorkshire.

"This town is supposed to have derived its name, originally Duisburgh, from Dui, the tutelar deity of the Brigantes, to whom a votive altar, dedicated by Aurelianus, was found in the vicinity, and is still preserved at Bradley." 1

Early Origins of the Dewsbury family

The surname Dewsbury was first found in West Yorkshire where the place dates back to the Domesday Book where it was listed as Deusberia and Deusberie. Very small by standards in those days, the lands held only space for 2 ploughs but was held by Wakefield and a portion of the lands was held by King Edward who had a manor that was 4 furlongs long (800 meters) and as much broad. 2

The name literally means "stronghold of a man called Dewi", derived from the Old Welsh personal name "Dewi" + "burgh", an Old English word 3

Early History of the Dewsbury family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Dewsbury research. Another 51 words (4 lines of text) covering the years 1621, 1688 and 1729 are included under the topic Early Dewsbury History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Dewsbury Spelling Variations

Only recently has spelling become standardized in the English language. As the English language evolved in the Middle Ages, the spelling of names changed also. The name Dewsbury has undergone many spelling variations, including Dewsbury, Dusebury, Dusbury, Dewsburay and others.

Early Notables of the Dewsbury family

Distinguished members of the family include

William Dewsbury (ca. 1621-1688), a Quaker minister from Allerthorpe, Yorkshire. He "was born in 1621 at Allerthorpe, near Pocklington in the East Riding of Yorkshire. Up to his thirteenth year he was...

Dewsbury migration to the United States +

To escape the unstable social climate in England of this time, many families boarded ships for the New World with the hope of finding land, opportunity, and greater religious and political freedom. Although the voyages were expensive, crowded, and difficult, those families that arrived often found greater opportunities and freedoms than they could have experienced at home. Many of those families went on to make significant contributions to the rapidly developing colonies in which they settled. Early North American records indicate many people bearing the name Dewsbury were among those contributors:

Dewsbury Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

John Dewsbury, who arrived in New Jersey in 1677
John Dewsbury, who arrived in New Jersey in 1678 4

Dewsbury Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

William Dewsbury, who arrived in Philadelphia in 1880
George Dewsbury, aged 26, who settled in America, in 1899

Dewsbury Settlers in United States in the 20th Century

Isabella Dewsbury, aged 61, who immigrated to the United States from Sunderland, in 1905
Walter Dewsbury, aged 32, who settled in America from Preston, in 1906
Mary Dewsbury, aged 48, who landed in America from Strathy, England, in 1912
Alfred Dewsbury, aged 61, who landed in America from Strathy, England, in 1912
J. Dewsbury, aged 27, who landed in America, in 1920
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Dewsbury migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Dewsbury Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Mr. Thomas Dewsbury, English convict who was convicted in Chester, Cheshire, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Claudine" on 19th August 1829, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 5

Dewsbury migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Dewsbury Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Miss Jamesina Dewsbury, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Himalaya" arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 10th February 1867 6
Mr. Frederick W. Dewsbury, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Himalaya" arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 10th February 1867 6
Miss Selina R. Dewsbury, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Himalaya" arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 10th February 1867 6
Mrs. Mary Ann Dewsbury, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Himalaya" arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 10th February 1867 6
Mr. John S.M. Dewsbury, British labourer travelling from London aboard the ship "Himalaya" arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 10th February 1867 6
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Dewsbury (post 1700) +

William Dewsbury (1621-1688), early English Quaker minister
Albert Percy "Dews" Dewsbury (1926-2006), Canadian NHL defenceman

Citations +

Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
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)
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 18th February 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/claudine
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 17th October 2018). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html