Show ContentsEdgeware History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Etymology of Edgeware

What does the name Edgeware mean?

In ancient Anglo-Saxon England, the ancestors of the Edgeware surname lived in the parish of Edgeworth, Gloucestershire, and/or at Edgworth in Lancashire.

Early Origins of the Edgeware family

The surname Edgeware was first found in Edgworth, a township in the chapelry of Turton, in the hundred of Salford, Lancashire. It comprises 2960 acres of pasture and moor and dates back to 1212 when it was listed as Eggewrthe. The name probably means "enclosure on an edge or hillside" from the Old English "ecg" + "worth." 1

Edgeworth is a small village and civil parish in Gloucestershire that had only 149 inhabitants as of 1848. 2

Edgeworth, later called Edgeware was a village in Middlesex that was the original homestead of Roger Edgeworth, the Elizabethan monk whose family emigrated to Ireland. 3 Stephen de Eddeworth was Warden of the City of London in 1268.

Early History of the Edgeware family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Edgeware research. Another 107 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1280, 1554, 1560, 1583, 1593, 1619, 1641 and 1646 are included under the topic Early Edgeware History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Edgeware 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 Edgeware 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. The variations of the name Edgeware include: Edgeworth, Edgworth, Edgeware, Edgeworthe and others.

Early Notables of the Edgeware family

Notables of this surname at this time include: Roger Edgeworth (d. 1560), was a Catholic divine, born at Holt Castle, the seat of Sir William Stanley, brother to the Earl of Derby. He was a canon of the cathedrals of Salisbury and Wells...
Another 42 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Edgeware Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Edgeware family to Ireland

Some of the Edgeware family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 162 words (12 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Edgeware 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 Edgeware or a variant listed above: John Edgeworth who arrived in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1786; followed by George and Robert Edgeworth in 1868.



The Edgeware 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: Constans contraria spernit
Motto Translation: The resolute man despises difficulties.


  1. Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
  2. Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
  3. Burke, John Esq. A Genealogical and Heraldic History of The Landed Gentry; or Commoners of Great Britian and Ireland. London: Henry Colburn Publisher, 13, Great Marlborough Street, 1837, Print.


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