| ![Show Contents]() Mothershead History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
- Origins Available:
 England The name Mothershead came to England with the ancestors of the Mothershead family in the Norman Conquest of 1066. The Mothershead family lived in Cheshire at Mottram St. Andrew, a small village and parish that dates back to the Domesday Book where it was listed as Motre, but later listed as Motromandreus in 1351. The place name possibly meant "speaker's place" or "place where meetings are held" from the Old English motere + rum. 1 More recently, it is home to Mottram Hall, a house built around 1750. Mottram in Longdendale is a village in Greater Manchester. It is one of the eight ancient parishes of the Macclesfield Hundred of Cheshire and dates back at least 1242. Early Origins of the Mothershead familyThe surname Mothershead was first found in Cheshire where they held a family seat as Lords of the Manor of Mottram at the time of the Norman Conquest of England by Duke William of Normandy in 1066 A.D. Conjecturally they are descended from Gamal whose father held the Lordship from Earl Hugh Bigod, the Chief tenant. Mottram was classed as a Hawk's eyrie at the time of the taking of the Domesday Book survey in 1086 A.D. The village is now two villages, Mottram St. Andrew and Mottram Cross. There is now a Mottram Old Hall. The name also became Mottershead about the 16th century, branching away but retaining the same Coat of Arms. The earliest record of the family was John de Mottrum who was listed in the Assize Rolls for Cheshire in 1287. 2 Early East Cheshire records revealed John de Mottrum and Adam de Mottrum as both holding lands there in 1376. 3 And an Adam de Mottrum was gaoler of Macclesfield and bailiff of the forest there in the middle of the 14th century (1301-1360.) 4 Early History of the Mothershead familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Mothershead research. Another 130 words (9 lines of text) covering the years 1541, 1564, 1565, 1595, 1605, 1678, 1688, 1715 and 1771 are included under the topic Early Mothershead History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Mothershead Spelling VariationsIt is only in the last few hundred years that the English language has been standardized. For that reason, Anglo-Norman surnames like Mothershead are characterized by many spelling variations. Scribes and monks in the Middle Ages spelled names they sounded, so it is common to find several variations that refer to a single person. As the English language changed and incorporated elements of other European languages such as Norman French and Latin, even literate people regularly changed the spelling of their names. The variations of the name Mothershead include Mottram, Mottrame, Motram, Motramm, Motteram, Mottvane, Mottershead, Mottishead, Mottishitt and many more. Early Notables of the Mothershead familyMore information is included under the topic Early Mothershead Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
 Mothershead migration to the United States | + |
Faced with the chaos present in England at that time, many English families looked towards the open frontiers of the New World with its opportunities to escape oppression and starvation. People migrated to North America, as well as Australia and Ireland in droves, paying exorbitant rates for passages in cramped, unsafe ships. Many of the settlers did not make the long passage alive, but those who did see the shores of North America were welcomed with great opportunity. Many of the families that came from England went on to make essential contributions to the emerging nations of Canada and the United States. Some of the first immigrants to cross the Atlantic and come to North America carried the name Mothershead, or a variant listed above:
Mothershead Settlers in United States in the 20th Century- Joseph Mothershead, aged 41, who arrived in America, in 1903
- Marjorie Mothershead, aged 5, who arrived in America from Amethwick, England, in 1910
- May M. Mothershead, aged 28, who arrived in America from Amethwick, England, in 1910
- Wilson Mothershead, aged 15, who arrived in America, in 1921
- Mary Mothershead, aged 44, who arrived in America, in 1921
| Contemporary Notables of the name Mothershead (post 1700) | + |
- Dianne Mothershead, American model and beauty pageant competitor for the District of Columbia in the Miss USA 1968 pageant
- J. L. Mothershead, American politician, U.S. Vice Consul in Leipzig, 1864 5
- Alvin M. Mothershead, American politician, U.S. Consul in Leipzig, 1861-70 5
- Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
- Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
- Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
- Harrison, Henry, Surnames of the United Kingdom: A Concise Etymological Dictionary Baltimore: Geneological Publishing Company, 2013. Print
- The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2016, January 8) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
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Mothershead migration to the United States 
