Mawdesley History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

Etymology of Mawdesley

What does the name Mawdesley mean?

The ancestors of the name Mawdesley date back to the Anglo-Saxon tribes of Britain. The name is derived from when the Mawdesley family lived in the settlement of Mawdesley in the county of Lancashire. 1 2 The surname Mawdesley belongs to the large category of Anglo-Saxon habitation names, which are derived from pre-existing names for towns, villages, parishes, or farmsteads.

Early Origins of the Mawdesley family

The surname Mawdesley was first found in Lancashire at Mawdesley, a township, in the parish of Croston, union of Chorley, hundred of Leyland. "Adam de Mawdesley was a ward of the duchy of Lancaster in the reign of Edward III.; Robert Mawdesley, the last of this ancient family, was living at Mawdesley Hall about 1760. " 3

"The Mawdesleys of Mawdesley possessed the demesnes of Mawdesley from the 12th to the 17th century (B.), and the name still occurs there." 4 Thomas de Maudesley was listed in the Lancashire Fines of 1398. 5

William de Maudesley was listed in the Assize Rolls for Lancashire in 1401 and Robert Mawdesley was listed as a Freeman or York in 1476. 6

Early History of the Mawdesley family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Mawdesley research. Another 68 words (5 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Mawdesley History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Mawdesley Spelling Variations

It is only in the last few hundred years that the English language has been standardized. For that reason, early Anglo-Saxon surnames like Mawdesley are characterized by many spelling variations. As the English language changed and incorporated elements of other European languages, even literate people changed the spelling of their names. The variations of the name Mawdesley include: Mawdesley, Maudesley, Maudsley and others.

Early Notables of the Mawdesley family

Mawdesley of Lancashire

Mawdesley migration to the United States +

Many English families tired of political and religious strife left Britain for the new colonies in North America. Although the trip itself offered no relief - conditions on the ships were extremely cramped, and many travelers arrived diseased, starving, and destitute - these immigrants believed the opportunities that awaited them were worth the risks. Once in the colonies, many of the families did indeed prosper and, in turn, made significant contributions to the culture and economies of the growing colonies. An inquiry into the early roots of North American families has revealed a number of immigrants bearing the name Mawdesley or a variant listed above:

Mawdesley Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

John Mawdesley, who settled in New England in 1630

Mawdesley Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Mary Mawdesley settled with her husband and two children in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1822

Contemporary Notables of the name Mawdesley (post 1700) +

Robert Mawdesley (1900-1953), English actor, best remembered as the first voice of Walter Gabriel in the long-running radio programme The Archers, a daily serial on BBC Radio since 1 January 1951.

Sources +

Barber, Henry, British Family Names London: Elliot Stock, 62 Paternoster Row, 1894. Print.
Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
Guppy, Henry Brougham, Homes of Family Names in Great Britain. 1890. Print.
Harrison, Henry, Surnames of the United Kingdom: A Concise Etymological Dictionary Baltimore: Geneological Publishing Company, 2013. Print
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)