In ancient
Anglo-Saxon England, the ancestors of the Pickforthey surname lived in the parish of Pitchford found in Shropshire.
Early Origins of the Pickforthey family
The surname Pickforthey was first found in
Shropshire at Pitchford, a small village and parish, in the union of Atcham,
hundred of Condover where the village derives its name from the strong pitchy smell that emanates from the oily substance that frequently covers the surface of the water. Hence the place means "ford near a place where pitch if found," from the Old English words "pic" + "ford."
[1]CITATION[CLOSE]
Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4) The
Domesday Book of 1086 lists the place as Piceforde
[2]CITATION[CLOSE]
Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8) and also lists Pitchford Hall as "Edric, and Leofric and Wulfric held it as thress manors; they were free." Today Pitchford Hall is a large Grade I listed Tudor country house that was mostly rebuilt c. 1560. Portions of the Roman Watling Street runs through the grounds. Early records show that Geoffrey de Pykeford, a crusader, was Lord of the Manor from 1272. He also built the
local church of
St Michael, which contains an oak effigy of him.
Early History of the Pickforthey family
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Pickforthey research.
Another 127 words (9 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Pickforthey History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Pickforthey Spelling Variations
It is only in the last few hundred years that the English language has been standardized. For that reason, early
Anglo-Saxon surnames like Pickforthey are characterized by many
spelling variations. As the English language changed and incorporated elements of other European languages, even literate people changed the spelling of their names. The variations of the name Pickforthey include: Pickford, Pitchford, Picford, Pichford, Pitford and others.
Early Notables of the Pickforthey family (pre 1700)
More information is included under the topic Early Pickforthey Notables in all our
PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Migration of the Pickforthey family to the New World and Oceana
Many English families tired of political and religious strife left Britain for the new colonies in North America. Although the trip itself offered no relief - conditions on the ships were extremely cramped, and many travelers arrived diseased, starving, and destitute - these immigrants believed the opportunities that awaited them were worth the risks. Once in the colonies, many of the families did indeed prosper and, in turn, made significant contributions to the culture and economies of the growing colonies. An inquiry into the early roots of North American families has revealed a number of immigrants bearing the name Pickforthey or a variant listed above: Susan Pickford, who came to Barbados in 1659; Mary Pickford, who arrived in Virginia in 1663 with her husband; John Pitford arrived in Barbados in 1689.