Smethwick History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

Early Origins and Etymology of Smethwick

The surname Smethwick was first found in Cheshire at Brereton, with Smethwick, a parish, in the union of Congleton, hundred of Northwich. "The church, a stately structure in the later style of English architecture, with a roof of carved oak, was formerly a chapel of ease to the church at Astbury, but was made parochial, and endowed with the tithes of Brereton cum Smethwick, in the reign of Henry VIII.; it contains monuments of Lord Brereton and the Smethwick family." 1

Smethwick, is a hamlet and manufacturing district, in the parish of Harborne, union of King's-Norton, in Staffordshire. 1 "The Staffordshire Smethwick was Smedewich (d for th, CH as k) in Domesday Book: it "lies on a plain at the foot of the Rowley Hills." 2

Another source has a different spelling for the Domesday Book entry, that of "Smedeuuich" which is not uncommon as entries were a translation for Latin and Middle English. This same source notes that the place name literally means "dwelling or building of the smiths." 3

Early History of the Smethwick family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Smethwick research. Another 83 words (6 lines of text) covering the year 1400 is included under the topic Early Smethwick History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Smethwick Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Smethwick, Smithwick, Smithick and others.

Early Notables of the Smethwick family

Robert Smethwick of Smethwick Hall

Migration of the Smethwick family to Ireland

Some of the Smethwick family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 41 words (3 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 Smethwick family

Some of the first settlers of this family name or some of its variants were: Henry Smithick who settled in Virginia in 1675; William Smithwick settled in Barbados in 1679 with his servants; Ed Smithwike settled in North Carolina in 1675.

Sources +

Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
Harrison, Henry, Surnames of the United Kingdom: A Concise Etymological Dictionary Baltimore: Geneological Publishing Company, 2013. Print
Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)