Virtue History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

Today's generation of the Virtue family bears a name that was brought to England by the migration wave that was started by the Norman Conquest of 1066. The Virtue family lived in Cumberland. Their name, however, is a reference to the Barony of La Ferte, Normandy, the family's place of residence prior to the Norman Conquest of England in 1066.

Early Origins of the Virtue family

The surname Virtue was first found in Cumberland where they held a family seat anciently after the Norman Conquest in 1066.

Early History of the Virtue family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Virtue research. Another 88 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1066, 1435, 1473 and 1645 are included under the topic Early Virtue History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Virtue Spelling Variations

Before English spelling was standardized a few hundred years ago, spelling variations of names were a common occurrence. Elements of Latin, Norman French and other languages became incorporated into English throughout the Middle Ages, and name spellings changed even among the literate. The variations of the surname Virtue include Vardy, Vardey, Vartey, Varty, Verty, Vertie and others.

Early Notables of the Virtue family

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

Virtue migration to the United States +

In England at this time, the uncertainty of the political and religious environment of the time caused many families to board ships for distant British colonies in the hopes of finding land and opportunity, and escaping persecution. The voyages were expensive, crowded, and difficult, though, and many arrived in North America sick, starved, and destitute. Those who did make it, however, were greeted with greater opportunities and freedoms that they could have experienced at home. Many of those families went on to make important contributions to the young nations in which they settled. Early immigration records have shown some of the first Virtues to arrive on North American shores:

Virtue Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Ann Virtue, aged 25, who arrived in New York, NY in 1803 [1]
Robert Virtue, aged 22, who landed in New York, NY in 1803 [1]
David Virtue, who landed in New London, Connecticut in 1811 [1]
Allen Virtue, aged 25, who landed in Maryland in 1813 [1]
James Virtue, who arrived in Allegany (Allegheny) County, Pennsylvania in 1860 [1]

Virtue 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:

Virtue Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

G B Virtue, who landed in Wellington, New Zealand in 1841
Mr. G. B. Virtue, (b. 1817), aged 24, British settler travelling from Plymouth aboard the ship "Oriental" arriving in Wellington, New Zealand on 27th October 1841 [2]
Mr. Charles Virtue, (b. 1862), aged 8 months, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship 'Mermaid' arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 26th December 1862 [3]
Mr. James Virtue, (b. 1820), aged 42, British shoemaker travelling from London aboard the ship 'Mermaid' arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 26th December 1862 [3]
Mrs. Mary Virtue, (b. 1824), aged 38, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship 'Mermaid' arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 26th December 1862 [3]
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Virtue (post 1700) +

Thomas E. "Tom" Virtue (b. 1957), American actor, known for his work in Iron Man 3 (2013), Even Stevens (1999) and Transformers: Dark of the Moon (2011)
Jacob Kitchline "Guesses" Virtue (1865-1943), American Major League Baseball first baseman who played from 1890 to 1984 for the Cleveland Spiders
Leonard Virtue, American Democratic Party politician, Member of Minnesota State House of Representatives 8th District; Elected 1906 [4]
Henrietta T. Virtue, American Republican politician, Alternate Delegate to Republican National Convention from Massachusetts, 1948 [4]
George Virtue (1794-1868), English publisher in London, well known for printing engravings and founder in London of a publishing business the main feature of which was the production of illustrated works, generally issued in numbers [5]
John Virtue (b. 1947), English monochrome landscape artist, honorary Professor of Fine Art at the University of Plymouth
James Sprent Virtue (1829-1892), British art publisher, born at 26 Ivy Lane, Paternoster Row, London, son of George Virtue [5]
Keith Virtue MBE (1909-1980), Australian pioneer aviator, co-founder of Virtue's Air Travel and co-founder of New England Airways (1931-1936)
Danny Virtue, Canadian Leo Award winning and two-time Gemini Award nominated stuntman, known for his work on Shooter (2007), Final Destination (2000) and Underworld: Evolution (2006)
Tessa Jane McCormick Virtue (b. 1989), Canadian ice dancer who with Scott Moir are the 2010 Olympic champions, the 2014 Olympic silver medalists, the 2010 and 2012 World champions, the 2008 and 2012 Four Continents champions and six-time Canadian national champions
... (Another 2 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

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)
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 26th March 2019). 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
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2016, February 19) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
Wikisource contributors. "Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900." Wikisource . Wikisource , 4 Jun. 2018. Web. 30 Jan. 2019