Ledyard History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

The name Ledyard reached English shores for the first time with the ancestors of the Ledyard family as they migrated following the Norman Conquest of 1066. The name Ledyard is based on St. Leger. "The St. Legers came from Caen in Normandy (Chron. of Battel Abbey, p. 59), and a family tradition asserts that the patriarch, Robert, was not only present at William's invasion in 1066, but actually supported him with his hand as he quitted the ship! There are six places bearing this name mentioned in the Itin. de la Normandie. Its Latinization is De Sancto." 1

Another source notes that it was a "name of a warlike king of the Saxons in the Nibelungen Lied, which occurs in some local names in Anglo-Saxon charters, as Ludegarsttin and Lutegáreshale, which latter Kemble thinks may be Ludgershall, in Wiltshire." 2

Saint Leodegar (or Leger), known as Leodegar of Poitiers (Latin: Leodegarius; French: Léger; c. 615-679) was a martyred Burgundian Bishop of Autun.

Early Origins of the Ledyard family

The surname Ledyard 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." 3 He also held estates at Bexhill in Sussex.

Early History of the Ledyard family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Ledyard research. Another 220 words (16 lines of text) covering the years 1440, 1441, 1475, 1476, 1483, 1496, 1526, 1535, 1536, 1540, 1544, 1555, 1558, 1559, 1560, 1563, 1571, 1572, 1583, 1584, 1585, 1589, 1596, 1600, 1613, 1618, 1619, 1621, 1627, 1631, 1650, 1665, 1678 and 1767 are included under the topic Early Ledyard History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Ledyard Spelling Variations

The English language only became standardized in the last few centuries. For that reason, spelling variations are common among many Anglo-Norman names. The shape of the English language was frequently changed with the introduction of elements of Norman French, Latin, and other European languages; even the spelling of literate people's names were subsequently modified. Ledyard has been recorded under many different variations, including St.Leger, Leger, Legere, Sallinger, Sellinger, St. Ledger and many more.

Early Notables of the Ledyard family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was Sir Thomas St Leger KB (c. 1440-1483) second son of Sir John St Leger (d.1441) of Ulcombe, Kent, and his wife, Margery Donnet. He was executed on 13 November 1483, at Exeter Castle, despite the offer of large sums of money on his behalf.Sir John St Leger (died 1596), of Annery in the parish of Monkleigh, Devon, was an English landowner who served in local and national government. He was the son of Sir George St Leger (c.1475-1536), of Annery, by his wife, Anne Knyvett, daughter of Sir Edmund Knyvett of Buckenham. He...
Another 182 words (13 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Ledyard Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Ledyard family to Ireland

Some of the Ledyard family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 249 words (18 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Ledyard migration to the United States +

To escape the uncertainty of the political and religious uncertainty found in England, many English families boarded ships at great expense to sail for the colonies held by Britain. The passages were expensive, though, and the boats were unsafe, overcrowded, and ridden with disease. Those who were hardy and lucky enough to make the passage intact were rewarded with land, opportunity, and social environment less prone to religious and political persecution. Many of these families went on to be important contributors to the young nations of Canada and the United States where they settled. Ledyards were some of the first of the immigrants to arrive in North America:

Ledyard Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

William Ledyard, who arrived in Mobile, Ala in 1822 4

Ledyard migration to Australia +

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

Ledyard Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Charles Ledyard, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Caroline Agnes" in 1850 5

Contemporary Notables of the name Ledyard (post 1700) +

Jonathan D. Ledyard, American politician, Delegate to Whig National Convention from New York, 1839 6
James C. Ledyard, American Republican politician, Mayor of Bath, Maine, 1882-84 6
Henry Ledyard, American politician, Mayor of Detroit, Michigan, 1855-56 6
Harriet C. Ledyard, American Republican politician, Member of Maine Republican State Committee, 1928 6
William Ledyard Stark (1853-1922), American Democratic Party politician, U.S. Representative from Nebraska 4th District, 1897-1903 7
Ledyard Cogswell Jr., American Republican politician, Alternate Delegate to Republican National Convention from New York, 1928 8

The Ledyard 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.

Citations +

Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
Charnock, Richard, Stephen, Ludus Patronymicus of The Etymology of Curious Surnames. London: Trubner & Co., 60 Paternoster Row, 1868. Print.
Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
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)
State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) CAROLINE AGNES 1850. Retrieved from http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1850CarolineAgnes-Hydaspe%20RegisterOct15.gif
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, November 9) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, December 1) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2016, January 20) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html