Peddigrough History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Scotland
Ireland
England

The name Peddigrough comes from the ancient Norman culture that was established in Britain after the Conquest of 1066. It was a name for a small man. The name was originally derived from the Old French words "petit," meaning "small or little," and "cru," meaning "growth." Alternatively, the name could have be Anglo-French in origin from "pee de grue," meaning "foot of a crane." In this case, it would have been a nickname literally meaning "Crane-Foot." 1

Another source notes the was at one time "Petygrerve," but he believed the name is in reality derived from the manor of Pettigrew, near Gerans, in Cornwall. 2

On this latter source, we feel compelled to add the comments of P.H. Reaney: "The common belief that this name derives from a place in Cornwall is clearly untenable. There is no place of that name in that county, early forms have no preposition, and come from the eastern countries. Nor can the name be identical with 'pedigree' Fr: 'ped de grue' 'crane-foot'. " 3 While we are hesitant to give an added opinion to this squabble, we would add that we too could not find any place so named in Cornwall.

Reaney goes on to note that the first record of the name that he could find was in the Assize Rolls of Essex in 1227 where Andrew Peticruw was listed at that time. Richard and Roger Peticruw was listed in the Assize Rolls of Essex and Staffordshire in 1283 and 1298. 3

Despite the aforementioned, the name is generally understood to have a closer affinity to Scotland than England as we shall explore later.

Early Origins of the Peddigrough family

The surname Peddigrough was first found in Lanarkshire (Gaelic: Siorrachd Lannraig) a former county in the central Strathclyde region of Scotland, now divided into the Council Areas of North Lanarkshire, South Lanarkshire, and the City of Glasgow.

One of the first records of the name was Thomas Petykreu of the county of Lanark, who rendered homage to King Edward I of England in 1296. "John Petty grew witnessed the promulgation of a papal bull at Linlithgow in 1461. A booth was leased to John Pedecrw in 1488 for half a mark, and the same year, as John Pethecrew, he was made a burgess of Lanark." 4

Early History of the Peddigrough family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Peddigrough research. Another 80 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1497, 1515, 1518, 1791, 1865 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Peddigrough History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Peddigrough Spelling Variations

Endless spelling variations are a prevailing characteristic of Norman surnames. Old and Middle English lacked any definite spelling rules, and the introduction of Norman French added an unfamiliar ingredient to the English linguistic stew. French and Latin, the languages of the court, also influenced spellings. Finally, Medieval scribes generally spelled words according to how they sounded, so one person was often referred to by different spellings in different documents. The name has been spelled Pettigrew, Pettegrew, Pettergrew and others.

Early Notables of the Peddigrough family

Another 44 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Peddigrough Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Peddigrough family to Ireland

Some of the Peddigrough family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 79 words (6 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Peddigrough family

To escape the political and religious persecution within England at the time, many English families left for the various British colonies abroad. The voyage was extremely difficult, though, and the cramped, dank ships caused many to arrive in the New World diseased and starving. But for those who made it, the trip was most often worth it. Many of the families who arrived went on to make valuable contributions to the emerging nations of Canada and the United States. An inquiry into the early roots of North American families reveals a number of immigrants bearing the name Peddigrough or a variant listed above: William Pettegrew, who settled in Boston in 1767; James Pettigrew settled in Philadelphia in 1855; William Pettigrew settled in Boston in 1822.

The Peddigrough Motto +

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: Sine sole nihil
Motto Translation: Nothing without the sun.

Citations +

Harrison, Henry, Surnames of the United Kingdom: A Concise Etymological Dictionary Baltimore: Geneological Publishing Company, 2013. Print
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)
Black, George F., The Surnames of Scotland Their Origin, Meaning and History. New York: New York Public Library, 1946. Print. (ISBN 0-87104-172-3)