Wattinwithey History, Family Crest & Coats of ArmsWattinwithey is a name of ancient Norman origin. It arrived in England with the Norman Conquest of 1066. The Wattinwithey family lived in Yorkshire, at Wadding. This was a local name, derived from the place-name Wadding. In general, local names were adopted by families when they moved to another area. This distinguished them from other people that had the same name. As people began moving closer together, it became more important to be able to identify people from one another. Early Origins of the Wattinwithey familyThe surname Wattinwithey was first found in Yorkshire where they were Lords of the manor of Waddington, a village and parish near Clitheroe. "It is natural to find the name crossing the border into Lancashire. This surname has ramified very strongly in the Northern counties." 1 Indeed another source claims the family did in fact originate in Lancashire: "The Waddingtons, who are also established in Lancashire, have their principal home in the West Riding, where occur a village and a seat of the name." 2 One of the first records of the family was Nicholas de Waddington, rector of the church of St. Elphin, Warrington, Lancashire in 1351. 3 The Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379 lists: Laurencius de Wadyngton; and Johannes de Wadyngton. 1 Early History of the Wattinwithey familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Wattinwithey research. Another 60 words (4 lines of text) covering the years 1670, 1671, 1687, 1724 and 1731 are included under the topic Early Wattinwithey History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Wattinwithey Spelling VariationsIt is only in the last few hundred years that the English language has been standardized. For that reason, Anglo-Norman surnames like Wattinwithey are characterized by many spelling variations. Scribes and monks in the Middle Ages spelled names they sounded, so it is common to find several variations that refer to a single person. As the English language changed and incorporated elements of other European languages such as Norman French and Latin, even literate people regularly changed the spelling of their names. The variations of the name Wattinwithey include Waddington, Waddleton, Waddingworth and others. Early Notables of the Wattinwithey familyOutstanding amongst the family at this time was Edward Waddington (1670?-1731), English divine, Bishop of Chichester, born in London in 1670 or 1671. "He was educated at Eton College, and was admitted a scholar of King's College, Cambridge, on 30 June 1687. On 11 Oct. 1724 he was... Migration of the Wattinwithey family to IrelandSome of the Wattinwithey 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 Wattinwithey familyFaced with the chaos present in England at that time, many English families looked towards the open frontiers of the New World with its opportunities to escape oppression and starvation. People migrated to North America, as well as Australia and Ireland in droves, paying exorbitant rates for passages in cramped, unsafe ships. Many of the settlers did not make the long passage alive, but those who did see the shores of North America were welcomed with great opportunity. Many of the families that came from England went on to make essential contributions to the emerging nations of Canada and the United States. Some of the first immigrants to cross the Atlantic and come to North America carried the name Wattinwithey, or a variant listed above: Hannah Waddington who settled in Virginia in 1635; John Waddleton settled in St. John's Newfoundland in 1789; Ralph Waddington settled in Virginia in 1653.
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