Draydon History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

• Origins Available:
• England

Etymology of Draydon

The name Draydon is of Anglo-Saxon origin and came from when the family lived in one of the many places called Drayton, or in the settlement of Dreyton in Devon. The reason for the multitude of place names is because the place name literally means "farmstead at or near a portage or slope used for dragging down loads," from the Old English words "draeg" + "tun." 1

Exploring Drayton-in-Hales, or Market-Drayton in Shropshire for a moment, we found "Nennius endeavours to identify this place with the Caer Draithon of the Britons, enumerating it as one of the principal cities belonging to that people; and the correctness of his opinion has not been arraigned by any succeeding writer. It is evident from the discovery of the foundations of several houses in the adjoining fields, that the town anciently occupied a more extended site than it does at present. In the record of Domesday it is mentioned by the name Draitune. The manor was successively in the possession of the abbot of St. Ebrulph, in Normandy, and the abbot of Combermere, in Cheshire." 2

Early Origins of the Draydon family

Early History of the Draydon family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Draydon research. Another 89 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1363, 1369, 1376, 1563, 1604 and 1631 are included under the topic Early Draydon History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Draydon Spelling Variations

It is only in the last few hundred years that the English language has been standardized. For that reason, early Anglo-Saxon surnames like Draydon are characterized by many spelling variations. As the English language changed and incorporated elements of other European languages, even literate people changed the spelling of their names. Scribes and monks in the Middle Ages spelled names they sounded, so it is common to find several variations that refer to a single person. The variations of the name Draydon include: Drayton, Draydon, Draton, Dradon and others.

Early Notables of the Draydon family

Nicholas de Drayton (fl. 1376), English ecclesiastic and judge, appointed warden of King's College, Cambridge, on 1 Dec. 1363, with a salary of fourpence a day, and an allowance of eight marcs per annum for robes. In 1369 he was suspected of heresy, and the Bishop of London was authorised to commit him to prison (20 March). In 1376 he was appointed a Baron of the Exchequer. The date of his death is uncertain. He is commonly described as 'magister.' 5 Michael Drayton (1563-1631), the English poet, was born at Hartshill, near Atherstone, Warwickshire. " He states in his epistle to Henry...
Another 121 words (9 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Draydon Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Draydon family

Many English families tired of political and religious strife left Britain for the new colonies in North America. Although the trip itself offered no relief - conditions on the ships were extremely cramped, and many travelers arrived diseased, starving, and destitute - these immigrants believed the opportunities that awaited them were worth the risks. Once in the colonies, many of the families did indeed prosper and, in turn, made significant contributions to the culture and economies of the growing colonies. An inquiry into the early roots of North American families has revealed a number of immigrants bearing the name Draydon or a variant listed above: Anne Drayton who settled in Barbados in 1654; Thomas Drayton settled in Barbados with his servants in 1680; in the same year he transferred to the mainland in Carolina..