Drewett History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

Early Origins of the Drewett family

The surname Drewett was first found in Oxfordshire where Walter Druet was listed as a Knights Templar in 1185. A few years later, William Drauet was listed in the Pipe Rolls for Kent in 1198 and later again, Walter Drywet was found in Sussex in 1309. The English name is derived from the Old French word Dru which literally means "little sweetheart." 1

Another source claims the name was "derived from the name of an ancestor as in 'the son of Drew,' of which personal name the diminutive was Drewett, or Druett." 2

The Latin form of the name was found in early records as a forename and a surname. The Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 lists Druettus Malerbe, Northamptonshire. "This landowner is elsewhere entered as Drogo Malerbe, which settles any doubts, if such existed, as to the relationship between Druett and Dru." 2

The Hundredorum Rolls also included an entry for Druett de Pratello in Oxfordshire. In Somerset, the first record there was that of Hugh Druet, 1 Edward III (during the first year of the reign of Edward III.) 3

Another source notes that the Hundredorum Rolls also included and entry for Ralph Drueth. 4

Early History of the Drewett family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Drewett research. Another 82 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1198, 1206, 1309, 1570, 1583, 1788, 1792, 1807, 1810, 1811, 1816, 1830, 1836 and 1854 are included under the topic Early Drewett History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Drewett Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Drewett, Dreweatt, Drywet, Drewitt, Drouet, Druitt, Drooit, Droit and many more.

Early Notables of the Drewett family

Distinguished members of the family include John Drout (fl. 1570), English poet and as we learn from the title-page of his only known work, an attorney of Thavies Inn. He is author of a black-letter tract of thirty leaves, entitled ‘The pityfull Historie of two louing Italians, Gaulfrido and Barnardo le vayne, which ariued in the countrey of Grece, in the time of the noble Emperoure Vaspasian. And translated out of Italian into Englishe meeter,’ &c., 12mo, London, 1570. In dedicating ‘this, the first frutes of my trauell,’ to Sir Francis Jobson, knt., lieutenant of the Tower, Drout mentions his parents...
Another 162 words (12 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Drewett Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Drewett migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Drewett Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

John Drewett, who landed in Virginia in 1643 5
Morgan Drewett, who landed in New Jersey in 1677 5

Drewett Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

John W Drewett, who arrived in New York in 1839 5

Drewett migration to Australia +

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

Drewett Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

William Drewett, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Somersetshire" in 1839 6
Thomas Drewett, aged 35, a farm labourer, who arrived in South Australia in 1853 aboard the ship "Caucasian" 7
Miss Annie Drewett, (b. 1867), aged 24, Cornish settler travelling aboard the ship "Jumna" arriving in Queensland, Australia on 20th July 1891 8

Contemporary Notables of the name Drewett (post 1700) +

Brad Drewett (1958-2013), Australian top 40 singles and top 20 doubles tennis player
Steve Drewett, one of the founding members of the band Iron Maiden
Edward Drewett Martell (1909-1989), British politician and libertarian activist

Citations +

Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
Dickinson, F.H., Kirby's Quest for Somerset of 16th of Edward the 3rd London: Harrison and Sons, Printers in Ordinary to Her Majesty, St, Martin's Lane, 1889. 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)
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)
State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) SOMERSETSHIRE 1839. Retrieved from http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1839Somersetshire.htm
South Australian Register Tuesday 26 April 1853. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) Caucasian 1853. Retrieved http://www.theshipslist.com/ships/australia/caucasian1853.shtml
Cornwall Online Parish Clerks. (Retreived 3rd May 2018). Retrieved from http://www.opc-cornwall.org/Resc/pdfs/emigration_australia_queensland.pdf