Show ContentsGawdeye History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Early Origins of the Gawdeye family

The surname Gawdeye was first found in Gloucestershire where the family name was first referenced in the year 1221 when Reginald Gaudi held estates in that shire. However, some of the family held estates at Wallington in Norfolk at early times. "Wallington Hall, formerly the seat of the Coningsbys and the Gawdys, is a handsome mansion, situated in a well-wooded park, in which are the tower and spire of the ancient church, now a ruin." 1

Early History of the Gawdeye family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Gawdeye research. Another 170 words (12 lines of text) covering the years 1297, 1430, 1455, 1487, 1578, 1589, 1597, 1603, 1606, 1612, 1613, 1627, 1629, 1639, 1640, 1648, 1654, 1661, 1666, 1669 and 1699 are included under the topic Early Gawdeye History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Gawdeye Spelling Variations

The English language only became standardized in the last few centuries; therefore,spelling variations are common among early Anglo-Saxon names. As the form of the English language changed, even the spelling of literate people's names evolved. Gawdeye has been recorded under many different variations, including Gawdy, Gawdey, Gaudy, Gawdie, Gaudie, Gaudey, Gordy and many more.

Early Notables of the Gawdeye family

Distinguished members of the family include Sir Thomas Gawdy of Gawdy Hall; Sir Bassingbourne Gawdy of West Harling, Norfolk, High Sheriff of Norfolk in 1627; Framlingham Gawdy (1589-1654), an English politician who sat in the House of Commons from 1640 to 1648; and Sir William Gawdy, 1st Baronet (1612-1669), an English politician who sat in the House of Commons from 1661 to...
Another 61 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Gawdeye Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Gawdeye family

For many English families, the political and religious disarray that shrouded England made the far away New World an attractive prospect. On cramped disease-ridden ships, thousands migrated to those British colonies that would eventually become Canada and the United States. Those hardy settlers that survived the journey often went on to make important contributions to the emerging nations in which they landed. Analysis of immigration records indicates that some of the first North American immigrants bore the name Gawdeye or a variant listed above: settlers, who arrived along the eastern seaboard, from Newfoundland, to Maine, to Virginia, the Carolinas, and to the islands.



  1. Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.


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