Digbey Surname, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

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The ancestry of the name Digbey dates from the ancient Anglo-Saxon culture of Britain. It comes from when the family lived at a local where someone lived by a dike or ditch.

Digbey Early Origins

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The surname Digbey was first found in Leicestershire where the family can be "traced nearly to the Conquest, and supposed to be of Saxon origin." The name is actually derived from "Digby, in Lincolnshire where Aelmar, the first recorded ancestor of the Digbys, held lands in 1086."

Digbey Spelling Variations

Spelling variations in names were a common occurrence before English spelling was standardized a few hundred years ago. In the Middle Ages, even the literate spelled their names differently as the English language incorporated elements of French, Latin, and other European languages. Many variations of the name Digbey have been found, including Digby, Digbie and others.

Digbey Early History

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Digbey research. Another 175 words (12 lines of text) covering the years 1580, 1653, 1578, 1606, 1605, 1603, 1665, 1580, 1653, 1580, 1658, 1612, 1677, 1657, 1686, 1685, 1686, 1618, 1664, 1640, 1642, 1720, 1679, 1691, 1691 and 1720 are included under the topic Early Digbey History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Digbey Early Notables (pre 1700)

Notables of the family at this time include Sir Everard Digby (1578-1606), conspirator involved in the abortive 1605 Gunpowder Plot to assassinate King James I of England and VI of Scotland and Members of the Parliament of England. He was found guilty and unremorseful, and executed as a traitor. Despite his...

Another 124 words (9 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Digbey Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Digbey In Ireland

Some of the Digbey family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt. Another 67 words (5 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

The Great Migration

Families began migrating abroad in enormous numbers because of the political and religious discontent in England. Often faced with persecution and starvation in England, the possibilities of the New World attracted many English people. Although the ocean trips took many lives, those who did get to North America were instrumental in building the necessary groundwork for what would become for new powerful nations. Some of the first immigrants to cross the Atlantic and come to North America bore the name Digbey, or a variant listed above: Charles Digby who settled in Montserrat in 1663; Edward Digby was one of the original settlers in Maine in 1607; John Digby settled in Jamaica in 1661.

Motto

The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.

Motto: Deo non fortuna
Motto Translation: Through God not by chance.

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Citations

^ Shirley, Evelyn Philip, The Noble and Gentle Men of England; The Arms and Descents. Westminster: John Bower Nichols and Sons, 1866, Print.

Other References

Egle, William Henry. Pennsylvania Genealogies Scotch-Irish and German. Harrisburg: L.S. Hart, 1886. Print.
Burke, Sir Bernard. General Armory Of England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales. Ramsbury: Heraldry Today. Print.
Hitching, F.K and S. Hitching. References to English Surnames in 1601-1602. Walton On Thames: 1910. Print. (ISBN 0-8063-0181-3).
Shaw, William A. Knights of England A Complete Record from the Earliest Time to the Present Day of the Knights of all the Orders of Chivalry in England, Scotland, Ireland and Knights Bachelors 2 Volumes. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing. Print. (ISBN 080630443X).
Lennard, Reginald. Rural England 1086-1135 A Study of Social and Agrarian Conditions. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1959. Print.
Markale, J. Celtic Civilization. London: Gordon & Cremonesi, 1976. Print.
Humble, Richard. The Fall of Saxon England. New York: Barnes and Noble, 1975. Print. (ISBN 0-88029-987-8).
Colletta, John P. They Came In Ships. Salt Lake City: Ancestry, 1993. Print.
Sanders, Joanne McRee Edition. English Settlers in Barbados 1637-1800. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing. Print.
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).
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The Digbey Family Crest was acquired from the Houseofnames.com archives. The Digbey Family Crest was drawn according to heraldic standards based on published blazons. We generally include the oldest published family crest once associated with each surname.

This page was last modified on 16 January 2015 at 09:59.