Holdworthy History, Family Crest & Coats of ArmsEtymology of HoldworthyWhat does the name Holdworthy mean? The lineage of the name Holdworthy begins with the Anglo-Saxon tribes in Britain. It is a result of when they lived 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 Holdworthy familyThe surname Holdworthy 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 Holdworthy familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Holdworthy 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 Holdworthy History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Holdworthy Spelling VariationsOnly recently has spelling become standardized in the English language. As the English language evolved in the Middle Ages, the spelling of names changed also. The name Holdworthy has undergone many spelling variations, including Holdsworth, Holesworth, Houlsworth, Holdworth, Houldworth and many more. Early Notables of the Holdworthy familyDistinguished 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?)... Migration of the Holdworthy familyTo escape the unstable social climate in England of this time, many families boarded ships for the New World with the hope of finding land, opportunity, and greater religious and political freedom. Although the voyages were expensive, crowded, and difficult, those families that arrived often found greater opportunities and freedoms than they could have experienced at home. 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 Holdworthy were among those contributors: Seth Holdsworth, who settled in Barbados in 1675, and Scholas Houldsworth, who arrived in Philadelphia in 1856.
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