Origins Available: English,
Scottish
Early Origins of the Girdler family
The surname Girdler was first found in Gourdon, an arrondissement of France before the
Norman Conquest. One of the first records there was William de Gourdon who founded Gourdon Abbey in 1240. After the Conquest, "Aimeric de Gourdon, 13th century was a benefactor to the church, and had grants from King John in
England. In 1231 Henry III. granted to Ralph Mareschal part of the estate of Sir Adam de Gourdon. "
[1]CITATION[CLOSE]
The Norman People and Their Existing Descendants in the British Dominions and the United States Of America. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing, 1975. Print. (ISBN 0-8063-0636-X) While we could find no villages named Gourdon in Britain, one may presume that Girton in
Cambridgeshire and
Nottinghamshire would be the likely related villages. Girton
Cambridgeshire dates back to c. 1060 when it was listed as Grittone and a few years later is listed in the
Domesday Book of 1086 as Gretone.
[2]CITATION[CLOSE]
Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8) Girton,
Nottinghamshire similarly dates back to the
Domesday Book with the same spelling. Both literally mean "farmstead or village on gravelly ground," from the Old English words "greot" + "tun."
[3]CITATION[CLOSE]
Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4) Girton College of the University of Cambridge derives its name from the nearby village. One branch of the family held a
family seat at Assington in
Suffolk since early times. "Assington Hall was purchased by Robert Gurdon, in the reign of Henry VIII., from Sir Piers Corbet, and has ever since been the residence of that family."
[4]CITATION[CLOSE]
Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print. The
Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 list: Bartholomew Gurdon in Norfolk; Thomas Gurdon in Oxfordshire; and Roger Gurdon in
Cambridgeshire.
[5]CITATION[CLOSE]
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
Early History of the Girdler family
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Girdler research.
Another 157 words (11 lines of text) covering the years 1455, 1487, 1544, 1623, 1571, 1649, 1621, 1622, 1595, 1679, 1640, 1660, 1606 and 1669 are included under the topic Early Girdler History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Girdler Spelling Variations
Before the last few
hundred years the English language had no fixed system of spelling rules. For that reason,
spelling variations occurred commonly in Anglo Norman surnames. Over the years, many variations of the name Girdler were recorded, including Gurdon, Girdon, Gurton, Girton, Gerdon, Girtin, Gretton, Gritten and many more.
Early Notables of the Girdler family (pre 1700)
Outstanding amongst the family at this time was John Gurdon
(c. 1544-1623), an English landowner and politician who sat in the House of Commons in 1571; Brampton Gurdon (died 1649), an English country gentleman and politician who sat in the House of Commons from 1621 to...
Another 45 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Girdler Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Migration of the Girdler family to the New World and Oceana
The unstable environment in
England at this time caused numerous families to board ships and leave in search of opportunity and freedom from persecution abroad in places like
Ireland,
Australia, and particularly the New World. The voyage was extremely difficult, however, and only taken at great expense. The cramped conditions and unsanitary nature of the vessels caused many to arrive diseased and starving, not to mention destitute from the enormous cost. Still opportunity in the emerging nations of Canada and the United States was far greater than at home and many went on to make important contributions to the cultures of their adopted countries. An examination of many early immigration records reveals that people bearing the name Girdler arrived in North America very early:
Girdler Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
- Mary Girdler, who arrived in Maryland in 1665 [6]CITATION[CLOSE]
Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
Girdler Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
- Mary Girdler, aged 20, who emigrated to the United States, in 1894
Girdler Settlers in United States in the 20th Century
- Jesse Girdler, aged 31, who settled in America from Godstone, England, in 1907
- Ethel Girdler, aged 20, who emigrated to the United States from Southampton, England, in 1910
- Lucy Ann Girdler, aged 49, who landed in America from Aldershot, England, in 1919
Girdler Settlers in Canada in the 20th Century
- Herbert Girdler, aged 24, who emigrated to Asquith, Canada, in 1910
- Charles William Girdler, aged 38, who emigrated to Toronto, Canada, in 1920
Girdler Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
- William Girdler, aged 47, who arrived in South Australia in 1853 aboard the ship "Marshall Bennett" [7]CITATION[CLOSE]
South Australian Register Friday 29 April 1853. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) Marshall Bennett 1853. Retrieved http://www.theshipslist.com/ships/australia/marshallbennett1853.shtml. - William Girdler (aged 26), a shoemaker, who arrived in South Australia in 1856 aboard the ship "Aliquis"
Contemporary Notables of the name Girdler (post 1700)
- William Girdler (1947-1978), American filmmaker
- Ryan Girdler (b. 1972), Australian retired rugby league player