Warreham History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

Warreham is a name whose history is connected to the ancient Anglo-Saxon tribes of Britain. The name is derived from when the Warreham family once lived in the settlement of Wareham in Dorset or in either of the places called Warham in Herefordshire or Norfolk. The surname Warreham belongs to the large category of Anglo-Saxon habitation names, which are derived from pre-existing names for towns, villages, parishes, or farmsteads.

Early Origins of the Warreham family

The surname Warreham was first found in Dorset where they were Lords of the manor of Wareham. Today Wareham (Wareham Town) is a town and civil parish, in Dorset situated on the River Frome eight miles (13 km) southwest of Poole. The older streets of the town date back to Roman times. Town walls and ancient earth ramparts still surround the town which were built by Alfred the Great in the 9th century.

Historically, the town was a Saxon royal burial place, notably that of King Beorhtric (c. 800) and Edward the Martyr (c. 978). Like many other towns of Dorset, fishing was an important way of life that led many to the New World in search of better fishing grounds.

Wareham Priory was a priory in Dorset, and may have dated back to the Saxons in 672. The site is now home to the Priory Hotel. "The ancient mansion of Dinton Hall [in Dinton, Buckinghamshire] was probably erected by William de Wareham, Archbishop of Canterbury, his name, and his arms quartered with those of the see of Canterbury, frequently occurring in the old painted-glass windows." 1

One of the first on record was Ranulf of Wareham (died 1222), also known Ranulph de Wareham or Ralph Wareham, the medieval Bishop of Chichester (1217-1222.) He was a monk of Norwich Cathedral before becoming prior. It is generally believed that he came from Dorset. In 1829, his bones were found in Chichester Cathedral.

Early History of the Warreham family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Warreham research. Another 135 words (10 lines of text) covering the years 1222, 1450, 1480, 1502, 1503, 1504, 1505, 1506, 1509, 1532, 1557 and 1655 are included under the topic Early Warreham History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Warreham 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 Warreham family name include Warham, Wareham and others.

Early Notables of the Warreham family

Notables of this surname at this time include: William Warham (c.1450-1532), Archbishop of Canterbury (1503-1532.) Born in Malshanger, Hampshire, he was educated at Winchester College and New College, Oxford. He rose to become Bishop of London in 1502 and later Chancellor of Oxford University in 1506. He married...
Another 48 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Warreham Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Warreham family to Ireland

Some of the Warreham family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt. More information about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Warreham 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 Warreham surname or a spelling variation of the name include: Thomas Warham from Wareham, Dorset, who settled at Carbonear, Newfoundland, in 1830; ? Wareham who was the first settler and eponym of Centreville-Wareham-Trinity, Newfoundland and Labrador.

Citations +

Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.