Lettrich History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

Etymology of Lettrich

What does the name Lettrich mean?

The history of the Lettrich family goes back to the ancient Anglo-Saxon culture of Britain. It is derived from the family living in the village of Lethbridge located in the county of Devon. 1

Early Origins of the Lettrich family

The surname Lettrich was first found in Devon where one of the first records of the family was John Lethybrydge (c. 1580-1660) who is generally thought to the progenitor from Holbeton, Devon. His son, John Lethybrydge (c. 1616-1686) married Joan Leight on 1st May 1637 in Ermington, Devon and together they had five children.

"Christopher Lethbridge, mayor of Exeter in 1660, was a wealthy merchant of that city; he was born at Walston, in the parish of Clansburgh, near Okehampton. Lethbridge is still an Exeter name." 2

The Lethbridge Baronetcy, of Westaway House in Devon and Winkley Court in the County of Somerset, a title in the Baronetage of the United Kingdom was created on 15 June 1804 for John Lethbridge, who was Member of Parliament (MP) for Minehead in Somerset, from 1806 to 1807.

Early History of the Lettrich family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Lettrich research. Another 104 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1615, 1675, 1715, 1759 and 1803 are included under the topic Early Lettrich History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Lettrich Spelling Variations

Until quite recently, the English language has lacked a definite system of spelling rules. Consequently, Anglo-Saxon surnames are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. Changes in Anglo-Saxon names were influenced by the evolution of the English language, as it incorporated elements of French, Latin, and other languages. Although Medieval scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded, so it is common to find one person referred to by several different spellings of his surname, even the most literate people varied the spelling of their own names. Variations of the name Lettrich include Lethbridge, Lethbrige, Letbridge, Letteridge and others.

Early Notables of the Lettrich family

John Lethbridge (1675-1759) English inventor of the first underwater diving machine in 1715. He lived in Devon and reportedly had 17 children. He is the subject of the Fisherman's Friends song "John in the Barrel". He was a wool merchant based in Newton Abbot who invented a diving machine in 1715 that was used to salvage valuables from wrecks. This machine...
Another 60 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Lettrich Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Lettrich family

Searching for a better life, many English families migrated to British colonies. Unfortunately, the majority of them traveled under extremely harsh conditions: overcrowding on the ships caused the majority of the immigrants to arrive diseased, famished, and destitute from the long journey across the ocean. For those families that arrived safely, modest prosperity was attainable, and many went on to make invaluable contributions to the development of the cultures of the new colonies. Research into the origins of individual families in North America revealed records of the immigration of a number of people bearing the name Lettrich or a variant listed above: Samuel Letteridge, who settled in Virginia in 1767; George Lethbridge settled in Philadelphia in 1820.

The Lettrich 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: Spes mea in Deo
Motto Translation: My hope is in God.

Sources +

Harrison, Henry, Surnames of the United Kingdom: A Concise Etymological Dictionary Baltimore: Geneological Publishing Company, 2013. Print
Guppy, Henry Brougham, Homes of Family Names in Great Britain. 1890. Print.