Contents [hide]

Kidson History Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables

Ireland United States Australia New Zealand

Contemporary Notables Related Stories Citations

Kidson History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Scotland
Ireland

Kidson is one of the oldest family names to come from the Anglo-Saxon tribes of Britain. It is derived from Kit, a diminutive of the name Christopher. After the Norman Conquest of 1066, Old English personal names declined in popularity to be replaced by the new Christian names that they brought with them. One of these was Christopher.

Early Origins of the Kidson family

The surname Kidson was first found in Yorkshire where they held a family seat from very ancient times, some say well before the Norman Conquest and the arrival of Duke William at Hastings in 1066 A.D.

Early History of the Kidson family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Kidson research. Another 90 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1270, 1359, 1485, 1520, 1540, 1835, 1907 and 1911 are included under the topic Early Kidson History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Kidson Spelling Variations

Only 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 Kidson has undergone many spelling variations, including Kitson, Kidson, Kydson, MacKett, MacCeit and others.

Early Notables of the Kidson family

Another 35 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Kidson Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Kidson family to Ireland

Some of the Kidson family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt. More information about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Kidson migration to the United States +

To 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 Kidson were among those contributors:

Kidson Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Marmaduke Kidson, aged 18, who arrived in Virginia in 1635 aboard the ship "Transport" 1

Kidson migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Kidson Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Mr. John Kidson, aged 29, who landed in Nelson, New Zealand in 1842 aboard the ship "Bolton"
Mrs. Amelia Kidson, aged 29, who landed in Nelson, New Zealand in 1842 aboard the ship "Bolton"
Mr. John Kidson, aged 5, who landed in Nelson, New Zealand in 1842 aboard the ship "Bolton"
Miss Amelia Kidson, aged 3, who landed in Nelson, New Zealand in 1842 aboard the ship "Bolton"
Miss Sarah Kidson, aged 11 months, who landed in Nelson, New Zealand in 1842 aboard the ship "Bolton"

Kidson migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Kidson Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

John Kidson, who landed in Nelson, New Zealand in 1842
John Kidson, aged 30, a joiner, who arrived in Nelson, New Zealand aboard the ship "Prince of Wales" in 1842
Sarah Kidson, aged 23, who arrived in Nelson, New Zealand aboard the ship "Prince of Wales" in 1842
Emma Kidson, aged 2, who arrived in Nelson, New Zealand aboard the ship "Prince of Wales" in 1842
George Kidson, who arrived in Nelson, New Zealand aboard the ship "Prince of Wales" in 1842

Contemporary Notables of the name Kidson (post 1700) +

Frank Kidson (1855-1926), English folksong collector and music scholar
Elsa Beatrice Kidson (1905-1979), New Zealand soil scientist and sculptor
Charles Kidson (1867-1908), New Zealand art teacher, artist, craftsman and sculptor
Edward Kidson (1882-1939), New Zealand meteorologist and scientific administrator

Citations +

Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)