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.Early Origins of the Ledgard family
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."
[1]CITATION[CLOSE]
Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print. 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.
Early History of the Ledgard family
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 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.
Early Notables of the Ledgard family (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.
Migration of the Ledgard family to 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.
Migration of the Ledgard family to the New World and Oceana
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
The Ledgard 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.