The name Whidbee was brought to
England by the
Normans when they conquered the country in 1066. The ancestors of the Whidbee family lived in
Yorkshire, at
Whitby. "This place was called by the
Saxons Streanes-heale, which Bede interprets Sinus Phari, or "the bay of the lighthouse;" and in the
Domesday Survey is styled Whitteby, or "the white town." It owes its origin to the foundation of a monastery here by Oswy, King of Northumbria, in fulfilment of a vow made prior to the battle of Winwidfield, in which he defeated and killed Penda, the pagan king of Mercia, who had invaded his territories in 655. "
[1]CITATION[CLOSE]
Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.Early Origins of the Whidbee family
The surname Whidbee was first found in
Yorkshire where they are believed to be descended from William de Percy, the most heroic of Norman nobles who held the lands of Whitby, in the East Riding of York, from 1066. He went to the first Crusade in 1096 and died at Mountjoy near Jerusalem.
Early History of the Whidbee family
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Whidbee research.
Another 169 words (12 lines of text) covering the years 1291, 1307, 1639, 1614, 1629, 1638, 1726, 1655, 1642, 1644, 1652 and 1655 are included under the topic Early Whidbee History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Whidbee Spelling Variations
It is only in the last few
hundred years that the English language has been standardized. For that reason, Anglo-Norman surnames like Whidbee 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 Whidbee include Whitby, Whiteby and others.
Early Notables of the Whidbee family (pre 1700)
Outstanding amongst the family at this time was Henry Whitby who held the lands in Berwick in 1307; Edward Whitby (died 1639), an English lawyer and politician, Member of Parliament for City of Chester (1614-1629); Daniel Whitby (1638-1726), a controversial English theologian and...
Another 42 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Whidbee Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Migration of the Whidbee family to the New World and Oceana
Faced 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 Whidbee, or a variant listed above: Daniel Whitby settled in Virginia in 1623; along with Richard; Henry Whitby settled in Maryland in 1684; Kath Whitby settled in Virginia in 1654; James Whitby arrived in Philadelphia, Pa. in 1808.
Contemporary Notables of the name Whidbee (post 1700)
- Rolfini Whidbee, American Daytime Emmy Award nominated actor, known for his work on Anacostia (2011-2016) and Nightmare Next Door (2016)
- Timothy Whidbee, American News & Documentary Emmy Award winning production designer, known for his work on Bring it On (2000), A Crime to Remember (2014) and I'm with Lucy (2002)
The Whidbee Motto
The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.
Motto: Virtus vitium fugere
Motto Translation: It is virtue to shun vice