Lettrick History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

Etymology of Lettrick

What does the name Lettrick mean?

The origins of the Lettrick name come from when the Anglo-Saxon tribes ruled over Britain. The name Lettrick was originally derived from a family having lived in the village of Lethbridge located in the county of Devon. 1

Early Origins of the Lettrick family

The surname Lettrick 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 Lettrick family

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

Lettrick Spelling Variations

Before English spelling was standardized a few hundred years ago, spelling variations of names were a common occurrence. Elements of Latin, French and other languages became incorporated into English through the Middle Ages, and name spellings changed even among the literate. The variations of the surname Lettrick include Lethbridge, Lethbrige, Letbridge, Letteridge and others.

Early Notables of the Lettrick 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 Lettrick Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Lettrick family

A great wave of immigration to the New World was the result of the enormous political and religious disarray that struck England at that time. Families left for the New World in extremely large numbers. The long journey was the end of many immigrants and many more arrived sick and starving. Still, those who made it were rewarded with an opportunity far greater than they had known at home in England. These emigrant families went on to make significant contributions to these emerging colonies in which they settled. Some of the first North American settlers carried this name or one of its variants: Samuel Letteridge, who settled in Virginia in 1767; George Lethbridge settled in Philadelphia in 1820.

The Lettrick 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.