Fulfith History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

In ancient Anglo-Saxon England, the ancestors of the Fulfith surname lived in the area referred to as Fulford in Devon, Somerset, Staffordshire, and the East Riding of Yorkshire. These place names derive from the Old English terms "fu-l," meaning "dirty," or "muddy," and "ford," meaning "a ford," a shallow place where a river could be crossed. 1

Early Origins of the Fulfith family

The surname Fulfith was first found in Devon where the earliest on record was William de Fulford, who held the manor of Great Fulford, in county Devon, near Exeter, during the reign of King Richard I (1189-1199.) 2

"The Fulfords of Fulford, in the parish of Dunsford, are a very ancient and distinguished Devonshire knightly family, dating back to the 12th century." 3

However, "there is every reason to believe that the ancestors of the venerable family have resided at Fulford from the time of the Conquest. Three knights of the house distinguished themselves in the wars of the Holy Land. " 2

Indeed, the place name Fulford dates back to at least the Domesday Book where Fuleford spelling was listed in Yorkshire and Staffordshire at that time. The earliest listing for Somerset was found in 1327 as Fuleforde. 4

"One of the estates held by these thanes is Filauefford ; so that there is good evidence in 1086 that the Saxon owners of Great Fulford had not been dispossessed ; while the parent stock of Fulfords were certainly there within a century. The other Foleford of ' Domesday,' held by Motbert under Baldwin the Sheriff, was a small manor, identifiable with Little Fulford in Shobrooke. Be all this as it may, among the most distinguished Crusaders of the West were Sir William, Sir Baldwin, and Sir Armas de Fulford. In the Wars of the Roses the Fulfords took the Lancastrian side ; and Sir Baldwin, who fought at Towton, was beheaded at Hexham, in 1461. But the family remained true, and his son, Sir Thomas, was attainted for espousing the cause of the Earl of Richmond, in 1483. He also took part in the relief of Exeter, when it was besieged by Perkin Warbeck, in 1497. The forfeiture only lasted a couple of years. In the Wars of the Commonwealth, as was to be expected, the Fulfords were staunch Royalists ; and Colonel, subsequently Sir Francis, Fulford made Fulford a royal garrison. His son Thomas was killed in the service ; and in December, 1645, the house was taken by Fairfax, and placed under the command of Colonel Okey. The mansion is, in the main, Elizabethan, and contains a royal recognition of the family loyalty in a portrait of Charles I. " 5

Early History of the Fulfith family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Fulfith research. Another 143 words (10 lines of text) covering the years 1219, 1280, 1327, 1462, 1475, 1500, 1515, 1518, 1583, 1625 and 1664 are included under the topic Early Fulfith History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Fulfith 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 Fulfith 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 Fulfith include: Fulford, Fullford, Fulforde, Fullforde and others.

Early Notables of the Fulfith family

Distinguished members of the family include William Fulford, English Archdeacon of Barnstaple (1462 to 1475); John Fulford (died 1518), an English Archdeacon of Totnes (1500 to 1515), Archdeacon...
Another 28 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Fulfith Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Fulfith 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 Fulfith or a variant listed above: Joe Fulford who settled in St. Christopher in 1635; John Fulford, who settled in New England in 1751; and William Fulforth, who settled in Philadelphia in 1844. Andrew Fulforde was the captain of ".

Citations +

Dixon, Bernard Homer, Surnames. London: John Wilson and son, 1857. Print
Shirley, Evelyn Philip, The Noble and Gentle Men of England; The Arms and Descents. Westminster: John Bower Nichols and Sons, 1866, Print.
Guppy, Henry Brougham, Homes of Family Names in Great Britain. 1890. Print.
Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
Worth, R.N., A History of Devonshire London: Elliot Stock, 62, Paternoster Row, E.G., 1895. Digital