The name Hawkfith was brought to
England in the wave of migration that followed the
Norman Conquest of 1066. The Hawkfith family lived at Axford, in the county of
Wiltshire. Checking further we found the name was derived from the Old English words
aesc and
ford, meaning
ash tree and
ford. Early Origins of the Hawkfith family
The surname Hawkfith was first found in
Wiltshire at Axford, a hamlet in the Kennet Valley which dates back to 1184 when it was listed as Axeford. The place name literally means "ford by the ash-trees," having derived from the Old English words "aesc" + "ford."
[1]CITATION[CLOSE]
Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4) The family held a
family seat at Ramsbury from ancient times. Today, Ramsbury is a village and civil parish that includes the hamlet Axford. It was originally spelt Ramesberrie. Ramsbury at the time of the
Domesday Book was one of the larger holdings in the county of
Wiltshire and consisted of 10 Mills. It was held by the Bishop of Salisbury. It also included Axford's Farm, from which the Axford family name is conjecturally descended. Axford's Farm is noted for its water mill. Axford is also a village in
Hampshire, part of the civil parish of Nutley.
Early History of the Hawkfith family
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Hawkfith research.
Another 83 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 121 and 1216 are included under the topic Early Hawkfith History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Hawkfith Spelling Variations
Spelling variations in names were a common occurrence in the eras before English spelling was standardized a few
hundred years ago. In the Middle Ages, even the literate regularly changed the spellings of their names as the English language incorporated elements of French, Latin, and other European languages. Many variations of the name Hawkfith have been found, including Axford, Acksford, Ackford, Hackford, Hacksford, Hawksford, Hawkford, Hawkesford and many more.
Early Notables of the Hawkfith family (pre 1700)
More information is included under the topic Early Hawkfith Notables in all our
PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Migration of the Hawkfith family to the New World and Oceana
For many English families, the social climate in
England was oppressive and lacked opportunity for change. For such families, the shores of
Ireland,
Australia, and the New World beckoned. They left their homeland at great expense in ships that were overcrowded and full of disease. Many arrived after the long voyage sick, starving, and without a penny. But even those were greeted with greater opportunity than they could have experienced back home. Numerous English settlers who arrived in the United States and Canada at this time went on to make important contributions to the developing cultures of those countries. Many of those families went on to make significant contributions to the rapidly developing colonies in which they settled. Early North American records indicate many people bearing the name Hawkfith were among those contributors: Ephraim Axford who settled in Virginia in 1670; Richard Axford who landed in Maryland in 1660; William Hawksford settled in Maryland in 1775.