EnglandThe ancient history of the Huggefard name begins with the ancient Anglo-Saxon tribes of Britain. The name is derived from when the family resided in the old village of Hickford, Shropshire.
The surname Huggefard was first found in Shropshire, but we must look to Oxfordshire to find one of the first listings of the name, that being Edith de Hicford who was listed there in the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273. [1]
"Sir Robert Atkyns, in his Ancient and Present State of Gloucestershire, says (p. 109) that 'The Higfords were of an ancient family in Salop, originally styled Hugford.' About the reign of James I the surname was turned into Higford: this, of course, has now become Hickford." [1]
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Huggefard research. Another 125 words (9 lines of text) covering the years 1086, 1273, 1581, 1657, 1596, 1597, 1607 and 1657 are included under the topic Early Huggefard History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
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 Huggefard include Hickford, Hikford, Hicford, Higford, Higeford, Hugford and many more.
Distinguished members of the family include William Higford (1581-1657), born near Alderton, Gloucestershire, a writer and Justice of the Peace. He was a Puritan, born of a good family. On 14 January 1596-1597, he matriculated at Oriel College, Oxford. He married Mary, daughter of...
Another 44 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Huggefard Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
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 Huggefard or a variant listed above: John Hickford, who sailed to Maine in 1640 and Thomas Hickford to Maryland in 1669.
