Preswood History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

The name Preswood is an old Anglo-Saxon name. It comes from when a family lived in or near the priest's wood, or in Prestwood, a place-name found in Buckinghamshire and in Sussex. The place-name and the surname are derived from the Old English words preost, which meant priest, and wudu, which meant wood or forest. The surname means "dweller by the priest's wood."

Early Origins of the Preswood family

The surname Preswood was first found in Worcestershire where they held a family seat as Lords of the Manor of Prestwood. Little is recorded of their early history before the 13th century but the senior representative of the family was Reginald Prestwood who lived about 1400. The family moved at this point south to Devon where the main stem resided. The family also gave their name to Prestwood in Shropshire and Buckinghamshire. They also branched to Staffordshire.

Early History of the Preswood family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Preswood research. Another 143 words (10 lines of text) covering the years 1570, 1608, 1628, 1629, 1655, 1692 and 1707 are included under the topic Early Preswood History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Preswood Spelling Variations

Before the last few hundred years, the English language had no fast system of spelling rules. For that reason, spelling variations are commonly found in early Anglo-Saxon surnames. Over the years, many variations of the name Preswood were recorded, including Prestwood, Presswood, Prestwold, Presswold, Prestwald and many more.

Early Notables of the Preswood family

Another 37 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Preswood Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Preswood migration to the United States +

To escape oppression and starvation at that time, many English families left for the "open frontiers" of the New World with all its perceived opportunities. In droves people migrated to the many British colonies, those in North America in particular, paying high rates for passages in cramped, unsafe ships. Although many of the settlers did not make the long passage alive, those who did see the shores of North America perceived great opportunities before them. Many of the families that came from England went on to make essential contributions to the emerging nations of Canada and the United States. Research into various historical records revealed some of first members of the Preswood family emigrate to North America:

Preswood Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Thomas Preswood, who landed in Maryland in 1676 1

Citations +

Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)