Ledgard Surname, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

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The vast movement of people that followed the Norman Conquest of England in 1066 brought the Ledgard family name to the British Isles. Ledgard comes from the name of the famous St. Leger.

Ledgard Early Origins

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The surname Ledgard was first found in Kent where Robert St. Leger was granted estates at Ulcombe and became Lord of the Manor of Ulcombe. "Ulcombe Place and manor belonged to the family of St. Leger, of whom Sir Robert, of an ancient house in Normandy, is said to have supported the Conqueror with his hand when landing on the Sussex coast. The present edifice, [(church)] which is in the later English style, contains some very old monuments to the St. Legers." He also held estates at Bexhill in Sussex. Another source claims that Robert actually assisted William, Duke of Normandy from the boat which brought him to England in 1066 prior to the Battle of Hastings.

Ledgard Spelling Variations

Multitudes of spelling variations are a hallmark of Anglo Norman names. Most of these names evolved in the 11th and 12th century, in the time after the Normans introduced their own Norman French language into a country where Old and Middle English had no spelling rules and the languages of the court were French and Latin. To make matters worse, medieval scribes spelled words according to sound, so names frequently appeared differently in the various documents in which they were recorded. The name was spelled St.Leger, Leger, Legere, Sallinger, Sellinger, St. Ledger and many more.

Ledgard Early History

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Ledgard research. Another 439 words (31 lines of text) covering the years 1767, 1540, 1631 and 1678 are included under the topic Early Ledgard History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Ledgard Early Notables (pre 1700)

Another 24 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Ledgard Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Ledgard In Ireland

Some of the Ledgard family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt. Another 39 words (3 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

The Great Migration

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Ledgard Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Robert Ledgard, aged 25, a farm labourer, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "George Fyfe" in 1842
Mary Ledgard, aged 28, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "George Fyfe" in 1842
D Ledgard, who landed in Wellington, New Zealand in 1844

Motto

The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.

Motto: Haut et bon
Motto Translation: High and good.

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Citations

^ Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.

Other References

Colletta, John P. They Came In Ships. Salt Lake City: Ancestry, 1993. Print.
Hanks, Patricia and Flavia Hodges. A Dictionary of Surnames. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1988. Print. (ISBN 0-19-211592-8).
Magnusson, Magnus. Chambers Biographical Dictionary 5th edition. Edinburgh: W & R Chambers, 1990. Print.
Burke, Sir Bernard. General Armory Of England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales. Ramsbury: Heraldry Today. Print.
Burke, Sir Bernard. Genealogical and Heraldic History of the Peerage and Baronetage, The Privy Council, Knightage and Compainonage. London: Burke Publishing, 1921. Print.
Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds. Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8).
Fairbairn. Fairbain's book of Crests of the Families of Great Britain and Ireland, 4th Edition 2 volumes in one. Baltimore: Heraldic Book Company, 1968. Print.
Shaw, William A. Knights of England A Complete Record from the Earliest Time to the Present Day of the Knights of all the Orders of Chivalry in England, Scotland, Ireland and Knights Bachelors 2 Volumes. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing. Print. (ISBN 080630443X).
Mills, A.D. Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4).
Crozier, William Armstrong Edition. Crozier's General Armory A Registry of American Families Entitled to Coat Armor. New York: Fox, Duffield, 1904. Print.
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The Ledgard Family Crest was acquired from the Houseofnames.com archives. The Ledgard Family Crest was drawn according to heraldic standards based on published blazons. We generally include the oldest published family crest once associated with each surname.

This page was last modified on 17 June 2016 at 11:07.