The history of the Lowndey family name begins after the
Norman Conquest of 1066. They lived near a grove deriving its origin from the Old English word
lundr, which means
grove.Early Origins of the Lowndey family
The surname Lowndey was first found in
Cheshire where they held a
family seat from very early times and were granted lands by Duke William of
Normandy, their liege Lord, for their distinguished assistance at the Battle of Hastings in 1066 A.D.
Early History of the Lowndey family
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Lowndey research.
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Lowndey Spelling Variations
Anglo-Norman names are characterized by a multitude of
spelling variations. When the
Normans became the ruling people of
England in the 11th century, they introduced a new language into a society where the main languages of Old and later Middle English had no definite spelling rules. These languages were more often spoken than written, so they blended freely with one another. Contributing to this mixing of tongues was the fact that medieval scribes spelled words according to sound, ensuring that a person's name would appear differently in nearly every document in which it was recorded. The name has been spelled Lowndes, Lownde, Lownd, Lownes and others.
Early Notables of the Lowndey family (pre 1700)
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PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Migration of the Lowndey family to the New World and Oceana
For many English families, the political and religious disarray that plagued their homeland made the frontiers of the New World an attractive prospect. Thousands migrated, aboard cramped disease-ridden ships. They arrived sick, poor, and hungry, but were welcomed in many cases with far greater opportunity than at home in
England. Many of these hardy settlers went on to make important contributions to the emerging nations in which they landed. Among early immigrants bearing the name Lowndey or a variant listed above were: Edward Lownes settled in Virginia in 1637; Mary Lownes settled with her husband in Virginia in 1652; John and Alexander Lownd settled in Virginia in 1635.