Pettifer History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The surname Pettifer was first found in the 11th century when the Latin name Herbertus Pedesferri was recorded according to the source Old English Bynames. The Pipe Rolls of Bedfordshire recorded John Pedefer as holding lands there in 1190. A few years later, John Piedefer was listed in the same rolls for the same county in 1198, but no mention if this was the same person. William Pedifer was found in the Assize Rolls for Warwickshire in 1221 and William Petifer was found in the Subsidy Rolls for Sussex in 1327. Richard Pitifer and William Pidefyr were both listed in the Subsidy Rolls for Sussex in 1332 and later in Huntingdonshire, we found William Putifer in 1382. Again in Huntingdonshire, William Petefer was listed in 1392. The name was common and sometimes used as a nickname alone: Piedefer 1186, Pipe Rolls for Worcestershire, Pie de Fer 1185, Pipe Rolls for Norfolk. 1

Patrick Pedefere during the reign of Edward III (1327-1377) was a Freeman of York. Robertus Pedefer was listed in the Yorkshire Poll Tax of 1379. William Petifer (Petefer, Petipher or Petyfre) of 1548 was registered at the University of Oxford. Robert Pettifer was listed as the Sheriff of Gloucester in the year 1603. 4

"Pettipher is an ancient Buckinghamshire and Hertfordshire name, and further allusion to it will be found under those counties in reference to Puddephatt, which is probably a corruption of it. There was a Bampton family of Pettifer last century. The name of Pettipher occurred amongst the labouring classes of Culworth, Northamptonshire, a century ago (B.). The Rev. John Pettyfer, or Pettifer, was vicar of Blakesley, Northamptonshire, early last century. Cussans, in his "Hertfordshire" suggests that in that county the name of Pedefer (Pied - de - Eer?), which occurred in Ippolitts, Herts, in the reign of Edward III., was the original of Puddephatt, a Bucks as well as a Herts name. This is probable, hut at any rate his suggestion is still more applicable to the origin of Pettipher. Pettypher: Peytever or Pettypher, the name of mayors of Wycombe in the 16th and. 17th centuries." 5