Steeds History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

The ancient Anglo-Saxon culture once found in Britain is the soil from which the many generations of the Steeds family have grown. The name Steeds was given to a member of the family who was a man of mettle, or someone noted for his high spirits. In this case, this surname is derived from the Old English word steda, which means stud-horse or stallion.

Early Origins of the Steeds family

The surname Steeds was first found in Yorkshire. "This surname is derived from a geographical locality, 'at the stead,' a place, a station, a settlement; compare homestead, market-stead (= market-place). A great Yorkshire surname. The Market-place, Manchester, was the Market-stead till the close of the last century. The Market-stead, Ulverston, is commonly so set down in the parish registers till 1790. " 1

The Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 has only one listing of the family: John Stede, Suffolk; while the Yorkshire Polls Tax Rolls of 1379 include: Robertas del Stede; Ricardus del Stede; Petrus del Stede; and Laurence del Stede underlining the importance of the Yorkshire heritage versus any other.

Early History of the Steeds family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Steeds research. Another 125 words (9 lines of text) covering the years 1376, 1417, 1581, 1588, 1619, 1701, 1735 and 1796 are included under the topic Early Steeds History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Steeds Spelling Variations

Sound was what guided spelling in the essentially pre-literate Middle Ages, so one person's name was often recorded under several variations during a single lifetime. Also, before the advent of the printing press and the first dictionaries, the English language was not standardized. Therefore, spelling variations were common, even among the names of the most literate people. Known variations of the Steeds family name include Stead, Steed and others.

Early Notables of the Steeds family

Another 31 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Steeds Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Steeds migration to Canada +

For political, religious, and economic reasons, thousands of English families boarded ships for Ireland, the Canadas, the America colonies, and many of smaller tropical colonies in the hope of finding better lives abroad. Although the passage on the cramped, dank ships caused many to arrive in the New World diseased and starving, those families that survived the trip often went on to make valuable contributions to those new societies to which they arrived. Early immigrants bearing the Steeds surname or a spelling variation of the name include :

Steeds Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century

William Steeds, who settled in Bonavista in 1792

Steeds Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century

John Steeds was a planter of Bird Island Cove, Newfoundland in 1821 2
Frederick Steeds, who settled in Catalina, Newfoundland in 1864 2

Citations +

Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
Seary E.R., Family Names of the Island of Newfoundland, Montreal: McGill's-Queen's Universtity Press 1998 ISBN 0-7735-1782-0