Ottry History, Family Crest & Coats of ArmsThe Anglo-Saxon name Ottry comes from when the family resided in the region of Ottway. Ottry is a topographic surname, which was given to a person who resided near a physical feature such as a hill, stream, church, or type of tree. Habitation names form the other broad category of surnames that were derived from place-names. They were derived from pre-existing names for towns, villages, parishes, or farmsteads. Early Origins of the Ottry familyThe surname Ottry was first found in Westmorland where they held a family seat from early times and their first records appeared on the census rolls taken by the ancient Kings of Britain to determine the rate of taxation of their subjects. Early History of the Ottry familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Ottry research. Another 59 words (4 lines of text) covering the years 1615, 1652, 1671, 1680, 1682, 1685, 1692 and 1693 are included under the topic Early Ottry History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Ottry Spelling VariationsThe English language only became standardized in the last few centuries; therefore,spelling variations are common among early Anglo-Saxon names. As the form of the English language changed, even the spelling of literate people's names evolved. Ottry has been recorded under many different variations, including Otway, Ottway, Ottaway, Otaway, Otawa and others. Early Notables of the Ottry familyNotables of this surname at this time include: Sir John Otway; and Thomas Otway (1652-1685), an English dramatist of the Restoration period, best known for Venice Preserv'd, or... Migration of the Ottry family to IrelandSome of the Ottry family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt. Migration of the Ottry familyFor many English families, the political and religious disarray that shrouded England made the far away New World an attractive prospect. On cramped disease-ridden ships, thousands migrated to those British colonies that would eventually become Canada and the United States. Those hardy settlers that survived the journey often went on to make important contributions to the emerging nations in which they landed. Analysis of immigration records indicates that some of the first North American immigrants bore the name Ottry or a variant listed above: Thomas Ottway who settled in Virginia in 1623; James Otway arrived in New York in 1823 with his wife and five children, and his brother William; W.B. Otway settled in San Francisco Cal. in 1852..
The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.
Motto: Si Deus nobiscum quis contra nos Motto Translation: If God be with us who can be against us?. |