| ![Show Contents]() Owfield History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
- Origins Available:
 England The name Owfield reached England in the great wave of migration following the Norman Conquest of 1066. The Owfield family lived in Oldfield, Cheshire. This is a topographical name whose derivation is just as it looks. The original bearer of the name Oldfield would have been distinguished by residence near to an old field. Individual cases of the name may also spring from residence in a place which bears the name Oldfield for the same reasons as above. 1 Early Origins of the Owfield familyThe surname Owfield was first found in Cheshire where "Guy de Provence, who came to this country [England] in the suite of Eleanor, on her marriage to King Henry III in 1236, married Alice, sister of Sir Patrick de Hartwell, and with her obtained the manor and lands of Oldfield, co. Chester. Their grandson, Richard, was the first who assumed the name De Oldfield." 2 Today, the hamlet of Oldfield is part of Gayton, a village in Wirral, Merseyside. Early rolls give us a glimpse at the many spellings in use over the years: Helyas de Aldeacris was listed as holding lands in Yorkshire in 1231; Agnes de Aldefeld was listed in Suffolk in 1221; Robert de la Aldfeld in Cambridgeshire in the Hundredorum Rolls of 1279; and Adam del Oldfeld in the Subsidy Rolls of Yorkshire in 1297. 3 Early History of the Owfield familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Owfield research. Another 218 words (16 lines of text) covering the years 1185, 1236, 1552, 1581, 1585, 1595, 1614, 1623, 1624, 1627, 1644, 1645, 1649, 1651, 1656, 1664, 1682, 1683, 1687, 1692, 1699, 1729, 1730, 1767, 1796 and 1929 are included under the topic Early Owfield History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Owfield Spelling VariationsBefore the advent of the printing press and the first dictionaries, the English language was not standardized. Sound was what guided spelling in the Middle Ages, so one person's name was often recorded under several variations during a single lifetime. Spelling variations were common, even among the names of the most literate people. Known variations of the Owfield family name include Oldfield, Oldefield, Oldfeild and others. Early Notables of the Owfield familyOutstanding amongst the family at this time was - Sir Samuel Owfield (1595-1644), an English politician who sat in the House of Commons between 1624 and 1644
- William Owfield (1623-1664), an English landowner and politician who sat in the House of Commons in 1645
Migration of the Owfield familyTo escape the political and religious chaos of this era, thousands of English families began to migrate to the New World in search of land and freedom from religious and political persecution. The passage was expensive and the ships were dark, crowded, and unsafe; however, those who made the voyage safely were encountered opportunities that were not available to them in their homeland. Many of the families that reached the New World at this time went on to make important contributions to the emerging nations of the United States and Canada. Research into various historical records has revealed some of first members of the Owfield family to immigrate North America: John Oldfield arrived in Maryland in 1684; Eleanor Oldfield settled in Maryland in 1730; Rhodes Oldfield settled in Philadelphia in 1871.
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: In cruce vincam
Motto Translation: I shall conquer in the cross.
- Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
- Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
- Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
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