Webs History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

The name Webs arrived in England after 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

Early Origins of the Webs family

The surname Webs 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

Early History of the Webs family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Webs research. Another 102 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1554, 1566, 1568, 1570, 1571, 1572, 1581, 1583, 1584, 1590, 1591, 1611, 1612, 1622, 1623, 1625, 1626, 1628, 1641, 1642, 1643, 1644, 1663, 1672, 1708, 1713, 1718, 1719, 1734, 1735, 1772, 1773, 1775, 1793, 1794, 1797, 1798, 1815, 1817, 1826, 1843, 1852, 1873 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Webs History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Webs Spelling Variations

Norman surnames are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. The frequent changes in surnames are largely due to the fact that the Old and Middle English languages lacked definite spelling rules. The introduction of Norman French to England, as well as the official court languages of Latin and French, also had pronounced influences on the spelling of surnames. Since medieval scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded, rather than adhering to any specific spelling rules, it was common to find the same individual referred to with different spellings. The name has been spelled Webb, Webbe and others.

Early Notables of the Webs family

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 Webs Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Webs family to Ireland

Some of the Webs 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.

Webs migration to the United States +

Many English families emigrated to North American colonies in order to escape the political chaos in Britain at this time. Unfortunately, many English families made the trip to the New World under extremely harsh conditions. Overcrowding on the ships caused the majority of the immigrants to arrive diseased, famished, and destitute from the long journey across the stormy Atlantic. Despite these hardships, many of the families prospered and went on to make invaluable contributions to the development of the cultures of the United States and Canada. Early North American immigration records have revealed a number of people bearing the name Webs or a variant listed above:

Webs Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Tho Webs, who arrived in Virginia in 1655 6

Webs Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Johann Arndt Webs, who landed in Frederick County, Maryland in 1773 6

Citations +

Harrison, Henry, Surnames of the United Kingdom: A Concise Etymological Dictionary Baltimore: Geneological Publishing Company, 2013. Print
Guppy, Henry Brougham, Homes of Family Names in Great Britain. 1890. Print.
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
Oliver, George, Collections Illustrating the History of the Catholic Religion in the Counties of Cornwall, Devon, Dorset, Somerset, Wilts, and Gloucester London: Charles Dolman, 61, New Bond Street, 1857. Print
Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print
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)