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![Show Contents]() Ledwitch History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
When the Anglo-Normans began to settle in Ireland, they brought the tradition of local surnames to an island which already had a Gaelic naming system of hereditary surnames established. Unlike the Irish, the Anglo-Normans had an affinity for local surnames. Local surnames, such as Ledwitch, were formed from the names of a place or a geographical landmark where the person lived, held land, or was born. The earliest Anglo-Norman surnames of this type came from Normandy, but as the Normans moved, they created names that referred to where they actually resided. Therefore, English places were used for names when the Normans lived in England, and then Irish places after these particular Anglo-Normans had been settled in Ireland for some time. Originally, these place names were prefixed by de, which means from in French. However, this type of prefix was eventually either made a part of the surname, if the place name began with a vowel, or it was eliminated entirely. The Ledwitch family originally lived in the settlement of Ledwyche in the English county of Shropshire, or in a place called Ledwich or Leftwich in the neighboring county of Cheshire. The surname Ledwitch belongs to the large category of Anglo-Norman habitation names, which are derived from pre-existing names for towns, villages, parishes, or farmsteads. Early Origins of the Ledwitch familyThe surname Ledwitch was first found in Cheshire, where they held a family seat from early times. They are conjecturally descended from Walter de Vernon who was granted the lands by William the Conqueror for their assistance at the Battle of Hastings in 1066 A.D. They held a family seat at Ledwich or Leftwich in that county. Early History of the Ledwitch familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Ledwitch research. Another 109 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1172, 1200, 1270, 1329, 1598, 1737, 1823, and 1858 are included under the topic Early Ledwitch History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Ledwitch Spelling VariationsChurch officials and medieval scribes spelled names as they sounded; therefore, single person, could have his name spelt many different ways during their lifetime. While investigating the origins of the name Ledwitch, many spelling variations were encountered, including: Ledwich, Ledwidge, Ledwedge and others. Early Notables of the Ledwitch family (pre 1700)More information is included under the topic Early Ledwitch Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Migration of the Ledwitch familyIreland's Great Potato Famine left the country's inhabitants in extreme poverty and starvation. Many families left their homeland for North America for the promise of work, freedom and land ownership. Although the Irish were not free of economic and racial discrimination in North America, they did contribute greatly to the rapid development of bridges, canals, roads, and railways. Eventually, they would be accepted in other areas such as commerce, education, and the arts. An examination of immigration and passenger lists revealed many bearing the name Ledwitch: Ellen and Catherine Ledwidge who settled in Boston Massachusetts in 1849; Michael Ledgwidge landed in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1834.
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Ireland
England
