Marwerd History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

The name Marwerd is an old Anglo-Saxon name. It comes from when a family lived in either of the settlements called Marwood in the counties of Devon and Durham. The surname Marwerd belongs to the large category of Anglo-Saxon habitation names, which are derived from pre-existing names for towns, villages, parishes, or farmsteads. However, some experts theorize that the surname Marwerd may be a nickname derived from the Old French word Malregard, which means evil look or evil eye.

Early Origins of the Marwerd family

The surname Marwerd was first found in Devon at Widworthy, a parish, in the union of Honiton, hundred of Colyton. "The church [of Widworthy], an ancient structure, contains the effigy of a knight in armour, and a fine monument by Bacon to the memory of James Marwood, Esq., a liberal benefactor to the parish. Benedictus Marwood, Esq., in 1742 gave £100, and the Rev. Joseph Somaster in 1770 left £50, to be applied to education." 1

Early History of the Marwerd family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Marwerd research. Another 73 words (5 lines of text) covering the years 1130, 1601, 1635, 1672, 1680, 1681, 1725, 1739 and 1740 are included under the topic Early Marwerd History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Marwerd Spelling Variations

Before the last few hundred years, the English language had no fast system of spelling rules. For that reason, spelling variations are commonly found in early Anglo-Saxon surnames. Over the years, many variations of the name Marwerd were recorded, including Marwood, Marward, Morwood and others.

Early Notables of the Marwerd family

Notables of the family at this time include Sir George Marwood, (1601-1680), 1st Baronet ; Sir Henry Marwood, (c. 1635-1725), 2nd Baronet; Sir Samuel Marwood, (c. 1672-1739), 3rd Baronet; and Sir William Marwood, (c. 1681-1740) 4th Baronet. "The worthies of Honiton [Devon] are few and far between. The Pole family...
Another 48 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Marwerd Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Marwerd family

To escape oppression and starvation at that time, many English families left for the "open frontiers" of the New World with all its perceived opportunities. In droves people migrated to the many British colonies, those in North America in particular, paying high rates for passages in cramped, unsafe ships. Although many of the settlers did not make the long passage alive, those who did see the shores of North America perceived great opportunities before them. Many of the families that came from England went on to make essential contributions to the emerging nations of Canada and the United States. Research into various historical records revealed some of first members of the Marwerd family emigrate to North America: Joe Marwood settled in Virginia in 1635; John Marwood settled in Barbados in 1685; Jonas Marwood settled in Maryland in 1727; Alexander Morwood arrived in Philadelphia in 1850..

Citations +

Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.