| ![Show Contents]() Rutherfords History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
Etymology of RutherfordsWhat does the name Rutherfords mean? In the ancient Scottish-English border region, the ancestors of the name Rutherfords lived among the Boernicians. They lived in the Parish of Maxton, where Rutherford was a town, near Roxburghshire. The toponym Rutherford is derived from the Old English words hryder meaning cattle and ford, a shallow part of a river. Rutherfords Coat of Arms CreationThe Rutherfords were a very important Border family, and as a crest they had a martlet (a swallow) with the motto, "Nec sorte nec fato" (Neither by chance nor fate). In their arms they had three martlets to show that some of the heads of the family had been in the Crusades, because just as swallows were birds of passage so were Crusaders. When in arms these birds are shown wanting beaks and feet, it means that those having such were maimed and wounded in these wars. The martlet, when shown by younger sons of a family, meant that they had to trust to the wings of virtue and merit, as they had no land of their own to set their feet on. There are two traditions as to the origin of the name. The first is that a man who guided Ruther, a King of the Scots, across the Tweed at a certain place to England was afterwards called Rutherford. Another story is that the English once tried to cross this river, but were set upon by the Scots, and it was for them a case of " rue-the-ford," which name was given to the place and its owner, and so it came about that there was a " Rutherford of that Ilk." 1 Early Origins of the Rutherfords familyThe surname Rutherfords was first found in the Parish of Maxton, town of Rutherford, county Roxburghshire. The first bearers of Rutherfords on record were two knights: Gregory and Nicholas de Rutherford who were listed in the reigns of William the Lion and Alexander II. About the same time, Sir Richard, lord of Rotherford was listed as was William de Rwthirford, a cleric who witnessed a charter by Henry de Grahame. Nicholas de Rothirford, knight, rendered homage to King Edward I of England at Montrose in 1296, as did Margarete la fielle Nicol de Rotherforde who also rendered homage for her lands. 2 Early History of the Rutherfords familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Rutherfords research. Another 284 words (20 lines of text) covering the years 1165, 1200, 1215, 1249, 1285, 1296, 1361, 1411, 1413, 1448, 1451, 1493, 1506, 1552, 1577, 1580, 1582, 1600, 1661, 1664, 1695, 1779 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Rutherfords History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Rutherfords Spelling VariationsSpelling rules only evolved in the last few centuries with the invention of the printing press and the first dictionaries. Spelling variations are extremely common in names from before that period. Rutherfords has been spelled Rudfard, Ruterford, Rudforde, Rudfithy, Rudforthy, Rudforthe, Rudfith, Rudforth, Rudfearde, Rudfarte, Rudfarde, Rudferd, Rutherfard, Rudfart, Rutherfart, Ruddefork, Ruddeforde, Ruddeford, Ruddefithy and many more. Early Notables of the Rutherfords familySamuel Rutherford (1600-1661), Scottish principal of St. Mary's College, St. Andrews, born about 1600 in the parish of Nisbet, now part of Crailing, Roxburghshire. 3
Andrew Rutherford (d. 1664), was a Scottish soldier of fortune, created 1st and only Earl of Teviot by Charles II; and Samuel Rutherford (ca. 1600-1661), a Scottish theologian and controversialist, born at Nisbet, Roxburghshire, educated at Edinburgh University, where he became a Professor of Latin.
John Rutherford (died 1577) was a...
Another 73 words (5 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Rutherfords Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Migration of the Rutherfords family to IrelandSome of the Rutherfords family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 60 words (4 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Migration of the Rutherfords familyAfter making their great crossing, many Boernician-Scottish families settled along the east coast of North America. When the War of Independence broke out, United Empire Loyalists moved north to Canada while the rest stayed to fight. The ancestors of many of these Scots still populate the continent. This century, through Clan societies and other Scottish organizations, they began to rediscover their collective national heritage. Analysis of immigration records indicates that some of the first North American immigrants bore the name Rutherfords or a variant listed above: Henry Rutherford, who arrived in Connecticut in 1641; Gaven Rutherford, who came to Maryland in 1670; Dennis Rutherford, who settled in Pennsylvania in 1682.
The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.
Motto: Nec sorte, nec fato
Motto Translation: Neither by chance nor destiny.
- Polson, Alexander, The Romance of Scottish Crests and Mottoes. Inverness: Walter Alexander, Inglis Street 1929. Print
- Black, George F., The Surnames of Scotland Their Origin, Meaning and History. New York: New York Public Library, 1946. Print. (ISBN 0-87104-172-3)
- Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print
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