England
IrelandWebbe is a name of ancient Norman origin. It arrived in England with the Norman Conquest of 1066. It is a name for a weaver which was in turn derived from the Old English word webbe, meaning a woven cloth, and was used to indicate someone employed in making such fabric. [1]
The surname Webbe was first found in Wiltshire where they held a family seat anciently from about the time of the Norman Conquest in 1066. "This name is confined south of a line drawn from the Wash to the Dee. It is most numerous in Somerset and Wiltshire, in the west of England; but is also well represented in Suffolk in the east of England and in Northamptonshire in the midlands." [2]
The Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 list early spellings and some of the first recordings of the family: Adam le Webbe in Essex; and Elyas le Webbe in Buckinghamshire. [3]
The founder of the Dorset branch of the family was William Webb, of Salisbury, merchant, in the reign of Henry VIII. "By marriage, William, the son of the founder, obtained Motcombe, in com. Dorset. Sir John Webb, in the early part of King James I.'s reign, purchased Canford estate, for 14,000/." [4]
In Gloucestershire, another branch of the family was found at Hatherop. "By the marriage of Mary, the heiress of the Bloomer family, to Sir John Webb, this property was acquired ; and within my memory has passed away by the marriage of the heiress of the Webbs to the Ponsonby family." [4]
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Webbe research. Another 102 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1611, 1672, 1611, 1625, 1628, 1663, 1734, 1708, 1713, 1793, 1772, 1773, 1775, 1719, 1798, 1718, 1719, 1735, 1798, 1735, 1815, 1735, 1581, 1642 and are included under the topic Early Webbe History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
A multitude of spelling variations characterize Norman surnames. Many variations occurred because Old and Middle English lacked any definite spelling rules. The introduction of Norman French to England also had a pronounced effect, as did the court languages of Latin and French. Therefore, one person was often referred to by several different spellings in a single lifetime. The various spellings include Webb, Webbe and others.
Outstanding amongst the family at this time was John Webb or Webbe (1611-1672), the English architect, came of a Somerset family, but was born in London in 1611. He was educated from 1625 to 1628 at Merchant Taylors' school. [5] Thomas Webb (c.1663-1734), was an English politician, Member of Parliament for Gloucester (1708-1713.)
Mrs. Webb (d. 1793) née Child, born in Norwich was an actress and a singer in the Norwich company. She appears to have made her first appearance in Edinburgh on 21 Nov. 1772 at the Theatre Royal in Shakespeare Square as Charlotte Rusport in the 'West Indian.' On 29...
Another 130 words (9 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Webbe Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Migration of the Webbe family to IrelandSome of the Webbe family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 87 words (6 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Webbe migration to the United States +Many English families left England, to avoid the chaos of their homeland and migrated to the many British colonies abroad. Although the conditions on the ships were extremely cramped, and some travelers arrived diseased, starving, and destitute, once in the colonies, many of the families prospered and made valuable contributions to the cultures of what would become the United States and Canada. Research into the origins of individual families in North America has revealed records of the immigration of a number of people bearing the name Webbe or a variant listed above:
Webbe migration to Australia +
Webbe migration to New Zealand +
