Whidbee Surname, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

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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. "

Whidbee Early Origins

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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.

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.

Whidbee Early History

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 Early Notables (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.

The Great Migration

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.

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

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Citations

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

Other References

Lennard, Reginald. Rural England 1086-1135 A Study of Social and Agrarian Conditions. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1959. Print.
Reaney P.H and R.M. Wilson. A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X).
Magnusson, Magnus. Chambers Biographical Dictionary 5th edition. Edinburgh: W & R Chambers, 1990. Print.
Burke, Sir Bernard. General Armory Of England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales. Ramsbury: Heraldry Today. Print.
Crispin, M. Jackson and Leonce Mary. Falaise Roll Recording Prominent Companions of William Duke of Normandy at the Conquest of England. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing. 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).
Matthews, John. Matthews' American Armoury and Blue Book. London: John Matthews, 1911. Print.
Bede, The Venerable. Historia Ecclesiatica Gentis Anglorum (The Ecclesiastical History Of the English People). Available through Internet Medieval Sourcebook the Fordham University Centre for Medieval Studies. Print.
Holt, J.C. Ed. Domesday Studies. Woodbridge: Boydell, 1987. Print. (ISBN 0-85115-477-8).
Hitching, F.K and S. Hitching. References to English Surnames in 1601-1602. Walton On Thames: 1910. Print. (ISBN 0-8063-0181-3).
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The Whidbee Family Crest was acquired from the Houseofnames.com archives. The Whidbee Family Crest was drawn according to heraldic standards based on published blazons. We generally include the oldest published family crest once associated with each surname.

This page was last modified on 8 October 2015 at 14:41.