Holdwithy History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

The history of the Holdwithy family goes back to the ancient Anglo-Saxon culture of Britain. It is derived from the family living in the historic county of Yorkshire, where they held a manor at Holdsworth. Actually, "there are two Holdsworths in the West Riding [of Yorkshire]." 1 The family is "from either Holdsworth in Eckington or Holdsworth in Ovenden." 2 Today we cannot locate the place in Eckington, but Holdsworth House is in Ovenden, just outside of Halifax. Holdsworth House was built c. 1598, but was not held by the family.

Early Origins of the Holdwithy family

The surname Holdwithy was first found in Yorkshire where John de Haldeworth, was the first listed of the family in the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273. The family had many name changes "from Haldeworth or Haldsworth in the 13th century, to Holdsworth or Houldsworth in the 19th [century]." 3

As one might suspect the Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379 including some of the early spellings: Johannes Haldeworthe, of Leathley; Ricardus de Haldeworthe, of Southowrara; and Johannes de Haleworth, sittor. All held land there at that time. 3

"Holsworthy, [Devon has a] market which is one of great antiquity ; and the chief fair was recorded in the time of Edward I. as having belonged to the ancestors of William Martyn from time immemorial." 4

Early History of the Holdwithy family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Holdwithy research. Another 123 words (9 lines of text) covering the years 1374, 1495, 1558, 1583, 1590, 1593, 1595, 1596, 1602, 1613, 1649, 1684 and 1746 are included under the topic Early Holdwithy History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Holdwithy 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 Holdwithy include Holdsworth, Holesworth, Houlsworth, Holdworth, Houldworth and many more.

Early Notables of the Holdwithy family

Distinguished members of the family include Richard Holdsworth (1590-1649), English theologian, the youngest son of the Reverend Richard Holdsworth, vicar of Newcastle-on-Tyne, where he was born in 1590. "His father died in 1596, leaving his child to the care of a son-in-law, the Rev. William Pearson or Pierson, who was curate and lecturer in the parish church of Newcastle." 5 Daniel Halsworth or Holdsworth (1558?-1595?)...
Another 64 words (5 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Holdwithy Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Holdwithy 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 Holdwithy or a variant listed above: Seth Holdsworth, who settled in Barbados in 1675, and Scholas Houldsworth, who arrived in Philadelphia in 1856.

Citations +

Harrison, Henry, Surnames of the United Kingdom: A Concise Etymological Dictionary Baltimore: Geneological Publishing Company, 2013. Print
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
Worth, R.N., A History of Devonshire London: Elliot Stock, 62, Paternoster Row, E.G., 1895. Digital
Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print