Oldford History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

The ancestors of the Oldford surname lived among the ancient Anglo-Saxon culture. The name comes from when they lived beside or close to an old ford.

Early Origins of the Oldford family

The surname Oldford was first found in Lincolnshire at Alford, a market-town and parish, in the union of Spilsby, Wold division of the hundred of Calceworth. 1 The place name derives its name from an old ford over a stream that twice runs through it. The first record of the place name was found in the Domesday Book of 1086 where it was listed as Alforde. 2

Alford Manor House is located there and is believed to be the largest thatched manor house in England, built about 1611. Alford Windmill is a five-sailed windmill, the only survivor of the four original windmills that operates today grinding grain to organic flour.

Alford is also a village and parish on the River Alham, in Somerset. This latter local was listed in the Domesday Book as Aldedeford and in this case it literally meant "ford of a woman called Ealdgyth." 3 "In the 9th of Elizabeth, Francis Alforde claimed the manor [of Widness with Appleton in Lancashire] by grant from the queen." 1

Another Alford is found in Surrey where it is a village and civil parish on the West Sussex border. It is difficult to determine which of these parishes was the original home of this family, but more than likely the Lincolnshire estates were the first owned by the family group. The family later migrated to Berkshire, where it became a family of great prominence.

Early rolls confirmed the Lincolnshire origin as Alan de Alforde was recorded there and later, Robert de Auford was listed in the Feet of Fines for 1202. Thomas de Aldeford was listed in the Subsidy Rolls for Worcestershire in 1275 and much later, Henry Alforde was recorded in Devon in 1642. 4

Early History of the Oldford family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Oldford research. Another 150 words (11 lines of text) covering the years 1184, 1273, 1275, 1568, 1587, 1590, 1595, 1626, 1628, 1634, 1636, 1641, 1644, 1645, 1648, 1649, 1652, 1653, 1679, 1686, 1690, 1691, 1761, 1763 and 1908 are included under the topic Early Oldford History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Oldford Spelling Variations

Before English spelling was standardized a few hundred years ago, spelling variations of names were a common occurrence. Elements of Latin, French and other languages became incorporated into English through the Middle Ages, and name spellings changed even among the literate. The variations of the surname Oldford include Allford, Alford, Aleford, Aldeford, Alforde, Allferd, Alferd, Allforth, Alforth, Alsford and many more.

Early Notables of the Oldford family

Notables of the family at this time include Michael Alford (1587-1652), a Jesuit and ecclesiastical historian, whose real name was Griffiths, was born in London in 1587; John Alford (c. 1590-1649), an English landowner and politician who sat in the House of Commons between 1626 and 1648; Sir Edward Alford (ca. 1595-1653), an English landowner and politician who sat...
Another 58 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Oldford Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Oldford Ranking

In Newfoundland, Canada, the name Oldford is the 194^th most popular surname with an estimated 215 people with that name. 5

Migration of the Oldford family

A great wave of immigration to the New World was the result of the enormous political and religious disarray that struck England at that time. Families left for the New World in extremely large numbers. The long journey was the end of many immigrants and many more arrived sick and starving. Still, those who made it were rewarded with an opportunity far greater than they had known at home in England. These emigrant families went on to make significant contributions to these emerging colonies in which they settled. Some of the first North American settlers carried this name or one of its variants: Richard Alford, who settled in Virginia in 1624; at the age of 26. He was followed by John, also to Virginia in 1663; and Nico Alford who settled in St. Christopher, Florida, in 1635..

Contemporary Notables of the name Oldford (post 1700) +

Douglas "Doug" Oldford (b. 1949), Newfoundland politician who represented Trinity North in the Newfoundland and Labrador House of Assembly from 1991 to 2000
Belinda Oldford, Canadian animation director, known for Heavy Metal (1981), Rock-A-Doodle (1991) and Ovide and the Gang (1987)
Britne Oldford (b. 1992), Canadian film and television actress, known for her work in How He Fell in Love (2015), Loitering with Intent (2014) and Ravenswood (2013)
Karen Oldford, Canadian politician, Mayor of Labrador City, Newfoundland (2013-)
R.W. Oldford, Canadian professor and Associate Dean (Computing), Faculty of Mathematics at the University of Waterloo

Historic Events for the Oldford family +

SS Newfoundland

Mr. William Oldford (1892-1914), Newfoundlander from Elliston, who on the 30th March 1914 he was part of the Seal Crew of the "SS Newfoundland" leaving the ship to intercept the Stephano which took him to the hunting grounds, he disembarked to begin sealing, but was caught in a thickening storm, attempting to return to the Newfoundland he and the 132 crew made camp for two days the sealers were stranded on the ice in a blizzard attempting to return to the ship, he died during this time

Citations +

Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
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)
The order of Common Surnames in 1955 in Newfoundland retrieved on 20th October 2021 (retrieved from Family Names of the Island of Newfoundland by E.R. Seary corrected edition ISBN 0-7735-1782-0)