Flowerdo History, Family Crest & Coats of ArmsThe name Flowerdo is derived from the French 'fleur' and ' Dieu,' which literally means "God's flower" 1 Early Origins of the Flowerdo familyThe surname Flowerdo was first found in Norfolk where John Floure-dieu was listed in 1541. A few years later, John Flowerdew, of Hetherset, Norfolk was registered as holding lands in 1549 and William Flowerdew was rector of Ashby, Norfolk in 1606. 2 Early History of the Flowerdo familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Flowerdo research. Another 73 words (5 lines of text) covering the years 1172, 1552, 1555, 1569, 1571, 1573, 1577, 1579, 1586, 1592, 1606, 1619 and 1685 are included under the topic Early Flowerdo History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Flowerdo Spelling VariationsAnglo-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 Flowerdew, Flowerday, Flowerdue, Flourdough, Flowerdo and many more. Early Notables of the Flowerdo familyOutstanding amongst the family at this time was Edward Flowerdew (d. 1586), English judge, fourth son of John Flowerdew of Hethersett, Norfolk, a large landed proprietor. "He became a member of the Inner Temple 11 Oct. 1552, and in the autumn of 1569 and Lent of 1577 was reader, and in 1579 treasurer. He obtained considerable celebrity as a lawyer in... Migration of the Flowerdo family to IrelandSome of the Flowerdo family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt. Migration of the Flowerdo familyBecause 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 Flowerdo name or one of its variants: the name represented in many forms and recorded from the mid 17th century in the great migration from Europe. Migrants settled in the eastern seaboard from Newfoundland, to Maine, to Virginia, the Carolinas, and to the islands..
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