Norwey History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

• Origins Available:
• England

The name Norwey first arose amongst the Anglo-Saxon tribes of Britain. It is derived from their having lived in or near "the north wood," as in the northernmost wood within a particular jurisdiction; or in one of the several places named Norwood or Northwood found throughout England.

Early Origins of the Norwey family

The surname Norwey was first found in Oxfordshire where the name was derived from the words "north" + "wood." ^[1] Some of the family were found in the parish of Sittingbourne in Kent where: "It is an incident worthy of notice in the ancient history of this town, that Henry V. was entertained at the Red Lion here, by John Northwood, a gentleman resident in the vicinity, at the expense of nine shillings and ninepence." ^[2]

Important Dates for the Norwey family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Norwey research. Another 81 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1590 and 1675 are included under the topic Early Norwey History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Norwey Spelling Variations

One relatively recent invention that did much to standardize English spelling was the printing press. However, before its invention even the most literate people recorded their names according to sound rather than spelling. The spelling variations under which the name Norwey has appeared include Norwood, Northwood, Norwold, Narwold and others.

Early Notables of the Norwey family (pre 1700)

Another 28 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Norwey Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Norwey family

At this time, the shores of the New World beckoned many English families that felt that the social climate in England was oppressive and lacked opportunity for change. Thousands left England at great expense in ships that were overcrowded and full of disease. A great portion of these settlers never survived the journey and even a greater number arrived sick, starving, and without a penny. The survivors, however, were often greeted with greater opportunity than they could have experienced back home. These English settlers made significant contributions to those colonies that would eventually become the United States and Canada. An examination of early immigration records and passenger ship lists revealed that people bearing the name Norwey arrived in North America very early: Francis Norwood, who arrived in Boston in 1630; Richard Norwood settled in Virginia in 1643; Mary Norwood settled in Montserrat in 1685; Richard Norwood settled in Georgia in 1733..

Citations

1. ^ Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
2. ^ Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.