Shepwithy History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

The name Shepwithy was brought to England in the great wave of migration following the Norman Conquest of 1066. The Shepwithy family lived in Yorkshire, at Skipwith, a village and civil parish about 4 miles (6.4 km) northeast of Selby. Skipwith Hall was built in the early 1700's and still survives today as "a handsome mansion." 1 Literally, the place name means "sheep farm, from the Old English words "scip" +"wic" 2 and was first listed as Schipewic in the Domesday Book of 1086. 3

Early Origins of the Shepwithy family

The surname Shepwithy was first found in Yorkshire where they held a family seat at Skipwith, where Robert of Estoteville, (sometimes called 'Stuteville',) the ancestor of the Skipwiths, Baron of Cottingham, was granted his lands by William, Duke of Normandy, after his Conquest of England in 1066 A.D. This family was one of the most distinguished in all Normandy and held the Castle at Ambrieres. They were very close both to King Henry, and his brother Duke Robert of Normandy. The Baron became Lord of the Manor of Skipwith. The first to assume the name Skipwith was Patrick de Skipwith, the second son of the Baron. 4 "Snore Hall [in the parish of Fordham in Norfolk], now a farmhouse, was the seat of the family of Skipwith, who entertained Charles I. on the night previous to his delivering himself to the Scottish army. " 1

Early History of the Shepwithy family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Shepwithy research. Another 111 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1348, 1529, 1539, 1547, 1586, 1616, 1620, 1652, 1658, 1663, 1670, 1676, 1677, 1680, 1694, 1710, 1728, 1730 and 1867 are included under the topic Early Shepwithy History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Shepwithy Spelling Variations

Endless spelling variations are a prevailing characteristic of Norman surnames. Old and Middle English lacked any definite spelling rules, and the introduction of Norman French added an unfamiliar ingredient to the English linguistic stew. French and Latin, the languages of the court, also influenced spellings. Finally, Medieval scribes generally spelled words according to how they sounded, so one person was often referred to by different spellings in different documents. The name has been spelled Skipwith, Skipworth, Shipwith, Shipworth and others.

Early Notables of the Shepwithy family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was William Skipwith (fl.1348), Member of Parliament for York; William Skipwith (died 1547), Member of Parliament for Lincolnshire in 1529 and 1539; William Skipwith (died 1586), Member of Parliament for Lincolnshire in 1547; Sir Henry Skipwith, 1st Baronet of Prestwould (d. c. 1658); Sir Henry Skipwith, 2nd Baronet of Prestwould (c. 1616-c. 1663); Sir Grey Skipwith, 3rd Baronet...
Another 64 words (5 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Shepwithy Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Shepwithy family

To escape the political and religious persecution within England at the time, many English families left for the various British colonies abroad. The voyage was extremely difficult, though, and the cramped, dank ships caused many to arrive in the New World diseased and starving. But for those who made it, the trip was most often worth it. Many of the families who arrived went on to make valuable contributions to the emerging nations of Canada and the United States. An inquiry into the early roots of North American families reveals a number of immigrants bearing the name Shepwithy or a variant listed above: Peter Skipwith, great grandson of Sir William Skipwith who settled in Virginia in 1789.

Citations +

Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
Shirley, Evelyn Philip, The Noble and Gentle Men of England; The Arms and Descents. Westminster: John Bower Nichols and Sons, 1866, Print.