Ditchfield History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

The name Ditchfield is part of the ancient legacy of the Anglo-Saxon tribes of Britain. It is a product of when the family lived in Ditchfield, a hamlet in the county of Lacashire. The local name is derived from the Old English word dic which means ditch and feld, which literally means a field that had been cleared of trees. Therefore the surname Ditchfield denotes someone who lived by the field and the ditch.

Early Origins of the Ditchfield family

The surname Ditchfield was first found in Lancashire where they held a family seat from very ancient times, some say well before the Norman Conquest and the arrival of Duke William at Hastings in 1066 A.D.

Early History of the Ditchfield family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Ditchfield research. Another 58 words (4 lines of text) covering the years 1695, 1733, 1735 and 1798 are included under the topic Early Ditchfield History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Ditchfield Spelling Variations

The first dictionaries that appeared in the last few hundred years did much to standardize the English language. Before that time, spelling variations in names were a common occurrence. The language was changing, incorporating pieces of other languages, and the spelling of names changed with it. Ditchfield has been spelled many different ways, including Dichfield, Dickfield, Ditchfield and others.

Early Notables of the Ditchfield family

Another 37 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Ditchfield Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Ditchfield migration to the United States +

Thousands of English families in this era began to emigrate the New World in search of land and freedom from religious and political persecution. Although the passage was expensive and the ships were dark, crowded, and unsafe, those who made the voyage safely were rewarded with opportunities unavailable to them in their homeland. Research into passenger and immigration lists has revealed some of the very first Ditchfields to arrive in North America:

Ditchfield Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Thomas Ditchfield, who landed in Maryland in 1673 1

Ditchfield Settlers in United States in the 20th Century

James Ditchfield, aged 30, who arrived in New York in 1919 aboard the ship "Vennonia" from London, England 2
Horace Leonard Ditchfield, aged 24, originally from Ilford, England, who arrived in New York in 1920 aboard the ship "Mauretania" from Southampton, England 2
Mary Jane Ditchfield, aged 55, originally from Smethwick, England, who arrived in New York in 1920 aboard the ship "Olympic" from Southampton, England 2
Florence Ditchfield, aged 17, originally from Smethwick, England, who arrived in New York in 1920 aboard the ship "Olympic" from Southampton, England 2
Peter Ditchfield, aged 66, originally from New Bedford, who arrived in New York in 1921 aboard the ship "Albania" from Liverpool, England 2
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Ditchfield migration to Australia +

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

Ditchfield Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Mr. George Ditchfield, English convict who was convicted in Warwick, Warwickshire, England for 7 years for stealing, transported aboard the "Bengal Merchant" on 24th March 1838, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 3
Mr. William Ditchfield, British Convict who was convicted in Manchester, England for 15 years, transported aboard the "Corona" on 13th October 1866, arriving in Western Australia, Australia 4

Ditchfield migration to West Indies +

The British first settled the British West Indies around 1604. They made many attempts but failed in some to establish settlements on the Islands including Saint Lucia and Grenada. By 1627 they had managed to establish settlements on St. Kitts (St. Christopher) and Barbados, but by 1641 the Spanish had moved in and destroyed some of these including those at Providence Island. The British continued to expand the settlements including setting the First Federation in the British West Indies by 1674; some of the islands include Barbados, Bermuda, Cayman Island, Turks and Caicos, Jamaica and Belize then known as British Honduras. By the 1960's many of the islands became independent after the West Indies Federation which existed from 1958 to 1962 failed due to internal political conflicts. After this a number of Eastern Caribbean islands formed a free association. 5

Ditchfield Settlers in West Indies in the 17th Century

Joe Ditchfield, who settled in St. Christopher (Saint Kitts) in 1635
Jo Ditchfield, aged 22, who arrived in St Christopher in 1635 1
Mr. John Ditchfield, (b. 1613), aged 22, British settler traveling aboard the ship "William and John" arriving in St Christopher (Saint Kitts) in 1635 6

Contemporary Notables of the name Ditchfield (post 1700) +

Rev. Peter Hempson Ditchfield FSA (1854-1930), English Anglican priest and author, best known for co-edited three Berkshire volumes of the Victoria County History
John Edwin Watts- Ditchfield (1861-1923), English Anglican priest and distinguished author, Bishop of Chelmsford (1914–1923)
James H. "Jimmy" Ditchfield (1865-1933), English footballer who played for Burslem Port Vale from 1886 and 1896
Andy Ditchfield, English founder of English rock band DeeExpus
William Ditchfield (1903-1991), New Zealand cricketer who played one first-class match for Otago in the 1933 season

Citations +

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)
Ellis Island Search retrieved 15th November 2022. Retrieved from https://heritage.statueofliberty.org/passenger-result
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 13th October 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/bengal-merchant
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 24th March 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/corona
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_West_Indies
Pilgrim Ship's of 1600's (Retrieved October 4th 2021 from https://www.packrat-pro.com/ships/shiplist.htm