The name Macwood reached English shores for the first time with the ancestors of the Macwood family as they migrated following the Norman Conquest of 1066. The Macwood family lived in Mackworth, a town in Derbyshire. The place name was rendered Macheuorde in the Domesday Book, a census taken by William the Conqueror twenty years after his conquest of England to determine the extent and value of his holdings for taxation purposes in 1086. It is a compound of the Old English personal name Macca and the suffix worth, which meant enclosure, or farm. Therefore the place name translates as "Macca's farm." It is from this name that the family name is derived.
Loading...
Early Origins of the Macwood family
The surname Macwood was first found in Derbyshire where this Gaelic sounding name held a family seat as Lords of the Manor of Mackworth at the time of the taking of the Domesday Book in 1086 A.D. In 1086 the manor was held by Earl Hugh of Mackworth and there is still evidence of the ruined castle.
Early History of the Macwood family
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Macwood research. Another 103 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1619 and 1803 are included under the topic Early Macwood History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Macwood Spelling Variations
Anglo-Norman names tend to be marked by an enormous number of spelling variations. This is largely due to the fact that Old and Middle English lacked any spelling rules when Norman French was introduced in the 11th century. The languages of the English courts at that time were French and Latin. These various languages mixed quite freely in the evolving social milieu. The final element of this mix is that medieval scribes spelled words according to their sounds rather than any definite rules, so a name was often spelled in as many different ways as the number of documents it appeared in. The name was spelled McWorth, MacWorth, Mackworth, Worth, Macwirth, McWirth, MacWirth, MacWurth, McWurth, McWyrth and many more.
Early Notables of the Macwood family
More information is included under the topic Early Macwood Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Migration of the Macwood family to Ireland
Some of the Macwood family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt. Another 49 words (4 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Loading...
Loading...
Loading...
Loading...
Migration of the Macwood family
Because of the political and religious discontent in England, families began to migrate abroad in enormous numbers. Faced with persecution and starvation at home, the open frontiers and generally less oppressive social environment of the New World seemed tantalizing indeed to many English people. The trip was difficult, and not all made it unscathed, but many of those who did get to Canada and the United States made important contributions to the young nations in which they settled. Some of the first North American settlers with Macwood name or one of its variants: Adolph Mackwirth settled in Pennsylvania in 1842; Arthur Mackworth arrived in Portland Maine in 1630.
