Waddghan History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

Early Origins of the Waddghan family

The surname Waddghan was first found in Devon where the village and seat of the Wadhams was recorded as being held by Ulf in the taking of the Domesday Book in 1086, who also held the lands before the Conquest. The Domesday Book was a census of all England commissioned by Duke William of Normandy after his conquest of Britain. At this census Ulf, a Saxon, is recorded as holding from the King as a tenant, the small village and farm holdings including 8 wild mares and 12 cattle. 1

Another source notes: "Wadham in Knowstone parish, the original residence of the Wadhams, is one of the few Devon manors noticed in ' Domesday,' as continuing in the same Saxon hands from the reign of the Confessor, and the Lysonses suggest it as not improbable that the holder, Ulf, may have been the ancestor of the Wadham family. There is at any rate nothing to militate against this hypothesis. " 2

"The village of Branscombe, [in Sidmouth, Devon] with its partially Norman church, claims a niche not merely in county but in general history, from its personal connections. Soon after the Conquest the property of a family named after the place, it passed to the Wadhams, by whom it was held for eight generations. Nicholas and Dorothy Wadham, the last owners of that name, founding Wadham College, appropriated thereto great portion of their wealth. When Nicholas Wadham died, in 1609, he left his estate to the families of Wyndham and Strangways. A monument in the church is appropriated to Dorothy Wadham. The Wadhams lived in an old house still standing, called Edge, or Egge. " 2

The church of St. Martin in the town of Liskeard, Cornwall "contains two inscriptions, recording two benefactions bequeathed for charitable purposes; and a memorial for Joseph Wadham, who died in 1707, who is described as the last of that family whose ancestors were the founders of Wadham College, Oxford." 3

Early History of the Waddghan family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Waddghan research. Another 136 words (10 lines of text) covering the years 1472, 1498, 1499, 1501, 1502, 1513, 1514, 1515, 1516, 1517, 1529, 1531, 1532, 1534, 1535, 1542, 1556, 1558, 1596, 1609, 1618 and 1645 are included under the topic Early Waddghan History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Waddghan 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 Waddghan family name include Wadham, Wadhams, Waddams, Waddam, Woddom, Woddam, Wodham, Wodhams, Waddeham, Wadeham and many more.

Early Notables of the Waddghan family

Distinguished members of the family include Sir Nicholas Wadham (c. 1472-1542) of Merifield, English politician, Member of the Parliament for Somerset in 1529, High Sheriff of Somerset and Dorset (1498-1499) and (1534-1535), High Sheriff of Devon (1501-1502) and (1514-1515) and High Sheriff of Wiltshire (1516-1517); Nicholas Wadham (1531/1532-1609), English benefactor of Wadham College, Oxford; and his wife, Dorothy Wadham (née Petre) (1534/1535-1618), his widow who carried through with her husband's wishes. Florence Wyndham (née Wadham) (died 1596) was the daughter of Sir John Wadham of Merifield and sister of...
Another 89 words (6 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Waddghan Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Waddghan family

For political, religious, and economic reasons, thousands of English families boarded ships for Ireland, Canada, 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 Waddghan surname or a spelling variation of the name include: George Wadham who settled in Virginia in 1663; Richard Wadham settled in Barbados in 1685.

Citations +

Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
Worth, R.N., A History of Devonshire London: Elliot Stock, 62, Paternoster Row, E.G., 1895. Digital
Hutchins, Fortescue, The History of Cornwall, from the Earliest Records and Traditions to the Present Time. London: William Penaluna, 1824. Print