Show ContentsDowtrey History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Etymology of Dowtrey

What does the name Dowtrey mean?

The name Dowtrey reached English shores for the first time with the ancestors of the Dowtrey family as they migrated following the Norman Conquest of 1066. The Dowtrey family lived in Sussex at Moor House, Petworth, not far from Battle Abbey. 1 Hawtrie is an adaptation of Hauterive, Normandy, the name of which literally means high river.

"In recording the foundation of Heryngham Priory by William Dawtree, the Monasticon thus speaks: 'The latin word 'Ripa,' was in Norman writings generally meant for a river, without relation to 'Ripa' a bank. The Romans called it 'Haultrey.' There was an ancient family of knights, owners of much lands in these parts, and of fair possessions, even in the very bosom of the 'high stream' from which they took their name, and were called 'De Haul-trey.' "The ancient house" here alluded to was the stem of many important branches, the most flourishing of which was that planted in the county of Sussex, at Moor House in Petworth, not very far from Battle Abbey itself. It produced a series of knightly generations, which held the highest rank in their country, and intermarried with its noblest families. " 1

Early Origins of the Dowtrey family

The surname Dowtrey was first found in Sussex where they held a family seat as Lords of the Manor of Heringham. Soon after the Domesday Book survey, a census initiated by Duke William of Normandy after his conquest of England in 1066 A.D., the family built Heringham Priory. 2 The first Norman noble to settle was from Hauterive, probably assuming the cognate 'de Hauterive'. He came from the arrondisement of Alencon in Normandy. It is most likely a corruption of the Norman Hauterive which produced the family name but, strangely, Dawtry and Dealtry have also been attributed to the same source, this from a Latinization of the location of their estates in Sussex, i.e., De Alta Ripa, a high bank or cliff. The Dawtries, the main house of which is in Petworth parish, are one and the same as the Hawtries.

Early History of the Dowtrey family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Dowtrey research. Another 100 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1659, 1758 and 1767 are included under the topic Early Dowtrey History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Dowtrey Spelling Variations

Anglo-Norman names tend to be marked by an enormous number of spelling variations. This is largely due to the fact that Old and Middle English lacked any spelling rules when Norman French was introduced in the 11th century. The languages of the English courts at that time were French and Latin. These various languages mixed quite freely in the evolving social milieu. The final element of this mix is that medieval scribes spelled words according to their sounds rather than any definite rules, so a name was often spelled in as many different ways as the number of documents it appeared in. The name was spelled Hawtre, Hawtree, Hawtrie, Dawtre, Dawtree, Dawtrie, Hawtrey, Haultrey, Dealtre, Dealtrie, Dawtrey, Dawtry, Daltry, Haltry, Haltrie and many more.

Early Notables of the Dowtrey family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was William Dawtrey, Esq. of Moor House, Doddinghurst, died s. p. in 1758, having bequeated his estates to (the son of his sister Sarah) his nephew, and heir, Richard Luther,, Esq. of Myles's, in Essex, who m. Charlotte, daughter of Dr. Hugh Chamberlen, the famous Court Physician, temp. Queen Anne, and-died at Vicars Hill, Hants, in 1767...
Another 63 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Dowtrey Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Dowtrey family

Because of the political and religious discontent in England, families began to migrate abroad in enormous numbers. Faced with persecution and starvation at home, the open frontiers and generally less oppressive social environment of the New World seemed tantalizing indeed to many English people. The trip was difficult, and not all made it unscathed, but many of those who did get to Canada and the United States made important contributions to the young nations in which they settled. Some of the first North American settlers with Dowtrey name or one of its variants: John Dawtres who settled in Virginia in 1636; William Dawtrey settled in Barbados in 1683.



  1. Burke, John Bernard, The Roll of Battle Abbey. London: Edward Churton, 26, Holles Street, 1848, Print.
  2. Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.


Houseofnames.com on Facebook