Contents [hide]

Purdon History Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables

Ireland United States Canada Australia New Zealand

Contemporary Notables Historic Events Related Stories Citations

Purdon History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland
Scotland

The Purdon surname in England is of Norman origins, thought to have originally been a nickname from the Old French "prud’homme" meaning "wise man."

Early Origins of the Purdon family

The surname Purdon was first found in Wiltshire, and Surrey. where Gilbert Prodhome or Prudume was on record in the Pipe Rolls in the 12th century. The name Roger Prodomme or Prodhomme was recorded in the Feet of Fines of Essex in 1284, and in 1326. The place named Pridhamsleigh, in Devon is named for John Prodhomme, who lived there in 1281. Like many Norman names, Purdon made its way to Scotland, where the first record of the name was of Willelmus Prodomme of Scotia, a mercator who had safe conduct to England in 1373.

Early History of the Purdon family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Purdon research. Another 74 words (5 lines of text) covering the years 1454, 1476, 1597, 1609, 1675, 1687, 1708, 1709 and 1737 are included under the topic Early Purdon History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Purdon Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Prudholm, Prudham, Prodhamn, Proudhome, Prudholme, Prudhome, Prodomme, Purdomme, Purdon, Purdholm and many more.

Early Notables of the Purdon family

More information is included under the topic Early Purdon Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Purdon family to Ireland

Some of the Purdon family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 105 words (8 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Purdon migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Purdon Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

John Purdon, who arrived in Maryland in 1664 1

Purdon Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Thomas Purdon, who landed in New York, NY in 1815 1
John and Joseph Purdon who settled in Philadelphia in 1825
Harrison Purdon, who landed in Arkansas in 1896 1

Purdon migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Purdon Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century

Robert Purdon (b. 1786) who settled in Quebec in 1821

Purdon migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Purdon Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Mr. James Purdon born in Cornwall, UK convicted in Falmouth on 20th October 1837, sentenced for 7 years for stealing knives, transported aboard the ship "Candahar" in 1842 to Van Diemen's Land, Tasmania, Australia 2
Mr. James Purdon, (b. 1812), aged 12, Cornish settler convicted in Cornwall, UK on 20th October 1837, sentenced for 7 years for stealing knives and combs from the shop of Robert Atkin, transported aboard the ship "Candahar" on 26th March 1842 to Van Diemen's Land, Tasmania, Australia 3
Mr. James Purdon, (Pardon, Purden), (b. 1825), aged 17, English shoe maker who was convicted in Falmouth, Cornwall, England for 7 years for stealing, transported aboard the "Candahar" on 26th March 1842, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 4

Purdon migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Purdon Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Jane Purdon, aged 19, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Jane Gifford" in 1842 5
Miss Mary A. Purdon, (b. 1844), aged 23, British dairymaid travelling from London aboard the ship "Lancashire Witch" sailing to Auckland and Lyttelton, New Zealand on 29th July 1867 6

Contemporary Notables of the name Purdon (post 1700) +

Tim Purdon, American Democratic Party politician, Delegate to Democratic National Convention from North Dakota, 2000
Jerry Purdon, American Republican politician, Candidate for Texas State House of Representatives 24th District, 1994
James Purdon, American politician, U.S. Consul in Buenos Aires, 1846
Arthur E. Purdon, American politician, Candidate for Michigan State Senate 4th District, 1910
Timothy Q. "Tim" Purdon, American lawyer, 18th U.S. Attorney for the District of North Dakota (2010-2015)
Roy Cleveland Purdon MBE (1927-2022), New Zealand harness-racing trainer from Auckland who was New Zealand's leading trainer in 21 seasons with his son, Barry
Mr. Timothy Corran Richard Brooke Purdon L.V.O., O.B.E. (b. 1949), British Colonel, former Lieutenant of the Honourable Corps of Gentleman at Arms, was appointed the Lieutenant of the Royal Victorian Order on 8th June 2018 7
Edward Purdon (1729-1767), Irish bookseller's hack, born in County Limerick
Mark Purdon, New Zealand driver and trainer of standardbred racehorses
Edward John "Ted" Purdon (1930-2007), South African professional footballer
... (Another 7 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Historic Events for the Purdon family +

HMAS Sydney II

Mr. Eric Thomas Purdon (1916-1941), Australian Leading Seaman from New Norfolk, Tasmania, Australia, who sailed into battle aboard HMAS Sydney II and died in the sinking 8

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)
Cornwall Online Parish Clerks. (Retrieved 30th May 2018). Retrieved from http://www.opc-cornwall.org/Resc/pdfs/tasmanian_convicts_cornish.pdf
Cornwall Online Parish Clerks. (Retrieved 30th May 2018). Retrieved from http://www.opc-cornwall.org/Resc/pdfs/emigration_australia_convicts.pdf
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 9th December 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/candahar
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 17th October 2018). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 17th October 2018). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
"Birthday and New Year Honours Lists (1940 to 2019)." Issue 62507, 28 December 2018 | London Gazette, The Gazette, Dec. 2018, www.thegazette.co.uk/honours-lists
HMAS Sydney II, Finding Sydney Foundation - Roll of Honour. (Retrieved 2014, April 24) . Retrieved from http://www.findingsydney.com/roll.asp