| ![Show Contents]() Fairthink History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
- Origins Available:
 England The ancestors of the Fairthink surname lived among the Anglo-Saxon tribes of Britain. As a surname, Fairthink may have derived from a few sources. There was an Old Norse personal name "Faerthegn," which meant "a traveling warrior" or "Thane (Lord)," a mercenary who led a band of warriors and settled local disputes. [1] The "Farthing" denomination of English coinage dates back to the Old English "feorthing," which was a quarter of a penny. In this instance, Fairthink may have been a nickname for someone who paid this amount in rent. Early Origins of the Fairthink familyThe surname Fairthink was first found in Devon where this ancient Anglo Saxon name was derived from the name Faerthegn and, immediately before the Norman Conquest as Farthein. The name was recorded in the Domesday Book in 1086 as Fardan or Fardein. [2] [3] An extensive search of early rolls revealed Geoffrey Ferthing, recorded in the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273; William Ferthing, listed in the Writs of Parliament for 1300; Richard Ferthing in the Close Rolls, 18 Edward I (during the eighteenth year of King Edward I's reign); and Robertus Farthing listed in the Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379. [4] The name could have originated in Faringdon, Berkshire where Thomas Fartheyn (1311), Thomas Fardeyn (1330) and Thomas Farendyn (1323) were all listed in the Writs of Parliament. The three entries above refer to one individual. [4] Early History of the Fairthink familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Fairthink research. Another 46 words (3 lines of text) covering the years 1700, 1723, 1736, 1743, 1782, 1786, 1787, 1801, 1830, 1838 and 1865 are included under the topic Early Fairthink History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Fairthink Spelling VariationsOnly recently has spelling become standardized in the English language. As the English language evolved in the Middle Ages, the spelling of names changed also. The name Fairthink has undergone many spelling variations, including Farthing, Fayting, Farthen, Farden, Fardon, Varthing, Vaytin, Fairthing, Fardin, Farthin and many more. Early Notables of the Fairthink familyDistinguished members of the family include John Fardon I (1700-1743), an English clockmaker was apprenticed to Thomas Gilkes of Sibford Gower and traded in Deddington from about 1723. His only son John Fardon II (1736-1786) was only 10 years old when his father died and seems to have been apprenticed in London. He and his...
Another 54 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Fairthink Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Migration of the Fairthink familyTo escape the unstable social climate in England of this time, many families boarded ships for the New World with the hope of finding land, opportunity, and greater religious and political freedom. Although the voyages were expensive, crowded, and difficult, those families that arrived often found greater opportunities and freedoms than they could have experienced at home. Many of those families went on to make significant contributions to the rapidly developing colonies in which they settled. Early North American records indicate many people bearing the name Fairthink were among those contributors: Robert and Bertha Farthing settled in Virginia in 1637; Edward Farthing settled in Barbados in 1678; George Farthing arrived in Philadelphia in 1808; Cyrus Farthing settled in Herring Neck in Newfoundland in 1871.
- Harrison, Henry, Surnames of the United Kingdom: A Concise Etymological Dictionary Baltimore: Geneological Publishing Company, 2013. Print
- Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
- Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
- Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
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