Pidington History, Family Crest & Coats of ArmsThe name Pidington was brought to England by the Normans when they conquered the country in 1066. The ancestors of the Pidington family lived in Cheshire. Their name, however, is a reference to their place of residence prior to the Norman Conquest of England in 1066, Macey in Manche, Normandy. 1 Early Origins of the Pidington familyThe surname Pidington was first found in Cheshire where the one of the first records of the name was "Hugh Massie, who married Agnes, daughter and heir of Nicholas Bold, of Coddington. Their son William purchased the manor of Coddington in the eighteenth of Henry VI." 2 A branch of the family held a family seat at Backford since early times. "During a great part of the 13th and 14th centuries, the manor [of Backford] was held by the Masseys, of Timperley; about the year 1580 it was sold to Thomas Aldersey." 3 Birkenhead in Cheshire was another ancient family seat. "A priory for sixteen Benedictine monks was founded [in Birkenhead] about 1150, in honour of St. Mary and St. James, by Hamon de Massey, third Baron of Dunham-Massey." 3 Little is known of Hamon de Massey other than he held manors of Agden, Baguley, Bowdon, Dunham, Hale and Little Bollington. He is thought to have born in La Ferté-Macé, in the Orne department in north-western France. Early History of the Pidington familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Pidington research. Another 157 words (11 lines of text) covering the years 1557, 1602, 1619, 1646, 1651, 1674, 1691, 1715, 1719, 1757, 1758, 1763, 1764, 1784, 1797, 1799, 1804, 1822, 1839, 1869 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Pidington History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Pidington Spelling VariationsIt is only in the last few hundred years that the English language has been standardized. For that reason, Anglo-Norman surnames like Pidington are characterized by many spelling variations. Scribes and monks in the Middle Ages spelled names they sounded, so it is common to find several variations that refer to a single person. As the English language changed and incorporated elements of other European languages such as Norman French and Latin, even literate people regularly changed the spelling of their names. The variations of the name Pidington include Massey, Massie, Macy, Macey and others. Early Notables of the Pidington familyOutstanding amongst the family at this time was Sir Edward Massey (c. 1619-1674), fifth son of John Massey of Coddington, an English soldier and politician who sat in the House of Commons between 1646 and 1674, he fought for the Parliamentary cause the First and Second English Civil Wars before changing allegiance and fighting for King Charles II during Third Civil War.Eyre Massey, 1st Baron Clarina (1719-1804), the Irish general, born on 24 May 1719, was fifth son of Colonel Hugh Massey of Duntryleague, co. Limerick, and his wife Elizabeth, fourth daughter of the Right Hon. George Evans, father of George... Migration of the Pidington family to IrelandSome of the Pidington family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt. Migration of the Pidington familyFaced with the chaos present in England at that time, many English families looked towards the open frontiers of the New World with its opportunities to escape oppression and starvation. People migrated to North America, as well as Australia and Ireland in droves, paying exorbitant rates for passages in cramped, unsafe ships. Many of the settlers did not make the long passage alive, but those who did see the shores of North America were welcomed with great opportunity. Many of the families that came from England went on to make essential contributions to the emerging nations of Canada and the United States. Some of the first immigrants to cross the Atlantic and come to North America carried the name Pidington, or a variant listed above: Edward Massey settled in Virginia in 1634; Jeffrey Massey settled in Salem in 1630; Robert Massey settled in Virginia in 1653; Thomas Massey settled in Barbados in 1668.
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