Kittermaster History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

The origins of the Kittermaster name lie with England's ancient Anglo-Saxon culture. It comes from when the family lived in Kidderminster, a village in Worcestershire. The place-name was recorded as Chideminstre in the Domesday Book, 1 which was compiled in 1086, and as Kedeleministere in 1154. The place-name is derived from the Old English personal name Cydela, and the Old English word mynster, which meant monastery. The place-name as a whole means "monastery of a man called Cydela." The surname means "one who came from Kidderminster." 2

Early Origins of the Kittermaster family

The surname Kittermaster was first found in Worcestershire at Kidderminster. "At the time of the Conquest this was a royal manor, and it continued so until the reign of Henry II., when it passed into the hands of various possessors, of whom Waller, the poet, was subsequently one." 3

Early History of the Kittermaster family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Kittermaster research. Another 137 words (10 lines of text) covering the years 1086, 1230, 1487, 1498, 1500, 1512, 1524, 1531, 1594, 1597, 1693 and 1744 are included under the topic Early Kittermaster History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Kittermaster Spelling Variations

Before the last few hundred years, the English language had no fast system of spelling rules. For that reason, spelling variations are commonly found in early Anglo-Saxon surnames. Over the years, many variations of the name Kittermaster were recorded, including Kittermaster, Kidderminster, Kiddermaster, Kiddiminstre, Keedomister, Kederminster, Kidiministre, Kidiminstre, Kytermyster and many more.

Early Notables of the Kittermaster family

Distinguished members of the family include Richard Kedermyster or Kyderminstre (d. 1531?), Abbot of Winchcomb, Gloucestershire, probably a native of Worcestershire. "At the age of fifteen he was admitted into the Benedictine monastery of Winchcomb; four years later he was sent to Gloucester College, Oxford, where the monastery owned an apartment called Winchcomb Lodgings; after remaining there for three years and a half he was summoned home, and by the interest of his patron, John Twynning, the abbot of Winchcomb, was made ‘scholar or pastor’ of the monastery. On Twynning's death in 1487, he was elected lord...
Another 96 words (7 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Kittermaster Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Kittermaster migration to Canada +

To escape oppression and starvation at that time, many English families left for the "open frontiers" of the New World with all its perceived opportunities. In droves people migrated to the many British colonies, those in North America in particular, paying high rates for passages in cramped, unsafe ships. Although many of the settlers did not make the long passage alive, those who did see the shores of North America perceived great opportunities before them. Many of the families that came from England went on to make essential contributions to the emerging nations of Canada and the United States. Research into various historical records revealed some of first members of the Kittermaster family emigrate to North America:

Kittermaster Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century

Anthony Kittermaster, who was on record in Ontario in 1871
Albert Kittermaster, also on record in Ontario in 1871

Contemporary Notables of the name Kittermaster (post 1700) +

Dr. Dick Kittermaster, pathologist at St Thomas's Hospital in London, England

Citations +

Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
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.