Herdewock History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

The present generation of the Herdewock family is only the most recent to bear a name that dates back to the ancient Anglo-Saxon culture of Britain. Their name comes from having lived in the village of Hardwick near Ashton-cum-Aughton in the county of Yorkshire. The name was originally derived from the Old English word heordewic, when translated refers to the person who dwelled near a sheep farm. 1

Early Origins of the Herdewock family

The surname Herdewock was first found in Yorkshire. Some of the family held estates at Ault-Hucknall in Derbyshire in early times. "The manor of Hardwicke lies on the south side of the parish, and on the border of Nottinghamshire, from which it is separated by the river Meden or Mayden. It was granted by King John, in 1203, to Andrew de Beauchamp: the Hardwickes possessed it for six generations; and Elizabeth, daughter of John Hardwicke, Esq., brought it to Sir William Cavendish. The present Hall of Hardwicke was built by the Countess of Shrewsbury in the reign of Elizabeth; its situation is exceedingly picturesque and beautiful, standing in a fine park containing 621 acres of land, embellished with venerable oaks of most gigantic size. " 2

The hamlet of Kytes-Hardwick has an eponymous significance to the family. "The family of 'Herdwick,' a branch of the 'Hastangs,' took their name from this place, and some of them are supposed to have resided here. John de Herdwick, in the time of Edward III., held several offices of distinction, and in the first of Richard II. was one of the justices of the peace for the city of Coventry. Another John de Herdwick aided Richmond, afterwards Henry VII., at the battle of Bosworth-Field, and, it is said, by his good conduct as a guide to the army, got the earl the advantage in that fight 'of the ground, winde, and sunne.' The manor, at this period called Herdwick-Grembald, was conveyed by him, in marriage with one of his daughters, to William Dingley." 2

Early feudal rolls provided the king of the time a method of cataloguing holdings for taxation, but today they provide a glimpse into the wide surname spellings in use at that time. Robert de Herdewyk was listed in Cambridgeshire and Huntingdonshire, Henry III-Edward I, as was Henry de Herdewyk. 3

The Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 included: Ermina de Herdwych, Cambridgeshire. Later the Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379 listed Alicia de Hardwyk; Agnes de Herdewik and Robertus de Hardewyk. 4 Anketill de Herdewic was listed in the Assize Rolls for Warwickshire in 1221 and Richard de la Herdewyk was registered in Somerset in 1243. 5

"The Hardwicks are established in various parts of England, and in most cases they have taken the name of a place in the county." 6

Early History of the Herdewock family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Herdewock research. Another 78 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1525, 1527, 1580, 1599, 1608, 1609 and 1621 are included under the topic Early Herdewock History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Herdewock Spelling Variations

Until the dictionary, an invention of only the last few hundred years, the English language lacked any comprehensive system of spelling rules. Consequently, spelling variations in names are frequently found in early Anglo-Saxon and later Anglo-Norman documents. One person's name was often spelled several different ways over a lifetime. The recorded variations of Herdewock include Hardwick, Hardwicke, Hartwick, Hartwicke and others.

Early Notables of the Herdewock family

Notables of the family at this time include Elizabeth Talbot (nee Hardwick) (1527-1608), Countess of Shrewsbury, also known as Bess of Hardwick. She was daughter of John Hardwick of Derbyshire by his wife Elizabeth Leeke. The Hardwicks had arrived in Derbyshire from Sussex by the mid thirteenth century and farmed land granted by Robert Savage, lord of...
Another 57 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Herdewock Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Herdewock family

Thousands of English families boarded ships sailing to the New World in the hope of escaping the unrest found in England at this time. Although the search for opportunity and freedom from persecution abroad took the lives of many because of the cramped conditions and unsanitary nature of the vessels, the opportunity perceived in the growing colonies of North America beckoned. Many of the settlers who survived the journey went on to make important contributions to the transplanted cultures of their adopted countries. The Herdewock were among these contributors, for they have been located in early North American records: William Hardwick settled in Jamaica in 1685; Francis Hardwick settled in Barbados in 1680; William Hardwick settled in St. Christopher in 1716; James Hardwicke settled in New England in 1762..

The Herdewock Motto +

The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.

Motto: Cavendo tutus
Motto Translation: Safe by being cautious.

Citations +

Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
Testa de Nevill or "Liber Feodorum" or "Book of Fees," thought to have been written by Ralph de Nevill, for King John (1199–1216)
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
Guppy, Henry Brougham, Homes of Family Names in Great Britain. 1890. Print.