Hawkewith History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

The ancestors of the bearers of the Hawkewith family name are thought have lived in ancient Anglo-Saxon England. They were first found in one of two similarly-named places. The parish of Hawksworth is located eight miles from Newark in Nottinghamshire. The township of Hawkswith is in the parish of Arncliffe in the West Riding of Yorkshire. The surname Hawkewith belongs to the large category of Anglo-Saxon habitation names, which are derived from pre-existing names for towns, villages, parishes, or farmsteads.

Early Origins of the Hawkewith family

The surname Hawkewith was first found in Yorkshire at Hawksworth, which "comprises by computation 2000 acres, chiefly the property of F. Hawkesworth Fawkes, Esq., who is Lord of the Manor." 1

The parish dates back to Saxon times when it was known as Hafecesweorthe c. 1030. 2 By the time of the Domesday Book of 1086, the parish was known as Hauocesorde. 3

The Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379 listed: Johannes de Haukesworth, wright; Willelmus de Haukesworth, wright; and Anabilla de Hewkesworth, vidua. 4 In each case, the occupation of the entry appeared after the surname.

Early History of the Hawkewith family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Hawkewith research. Another 79 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1606, 1715, 1744, 1746, 1749, 1761 and 1773 are included under the topic Early Hawkewith History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Hawkewith Spelling Variations

Until quite recently, the English language has lacked a definite system of spelling rules. Consequently, Anglo-Saxon surnames are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. Changes in Anglo-Saxon names were influenced by the evolution of the English language, as it incorporated elements of French, Latin, and other languages. Although Medieval scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded, so it is common to find one person referred to by several different spellings of his surname, even the most literate people varied the spelling of their own names. Variations of the name Hawkewith include Hawkesworth, Hawksworth, Hawkeworth and others.

Early Notables of the Hawkewith family

Notables of this surname at this time include: Walter Hawkesworth (d. 1606), an English dramatist, the second son of Walter Hawkesworth of Hawkesworth, Yorkshire, by his wife Isabel, daughter and coheiress of Thomas Colthurst of Edisforth in the same county. 5 John Hawkesworth (c.1715-1773), was an English writer. He was commissioned by the Admiralty to edit Captain James Cook's papers relative to his first voyage. He was of humble origin. In his youth he was 'a hired clerk to one Harwood, an attorney in Grocers' Alley...
Another 85 words (6 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Hawkewith Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Hawkewith family

Searching for a better life, many English families migrated to British colonies. Unfortunately, the majority of them traveled under extremely harsh conditions: overcrowding on the ships caused the majority of the immigrants to arrive diseased, famished, and destitute from the long journey across the ocean. For those families that arrived safely, modest prosperity was attainable, and many went on to make invaluable contributions to the development of the cultures of the new colonies. Research into the origins of individual families in North America revealed records of the immigration of a number of people bearing the name Hawkewith or a variant listed above: John Hawksworth settled in Barbados in 1680; along with William, and his servants; Charles and Thomas Hawksworth arrived in Philadelphia in 1860; Thomas Hawkesworth settled in Boston in 1635.

Citations +

Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print