Wiggmoore History, Family Crest & Coats of ArmsWiggmoore is one of the names that was brought to England in the wave of migration following the Norman Conquest of 1066. The Wiggmoore family lived in Herefordshire, at Wigmore. The name of this place derives from the Old English words wicga, meaning moving, and mor, meaning marsh, and probably indicated that the bearer of the name lived near a shallow, swampy part of a river. 1 Early Origins of the Wiggmoore familyThe surname Wiggmoore was first found in Herefordshire and Worcestershire which both date back to the Domesday Book 2 and were listed as Wigemore in that register. Wigmore is also a village in the Unitary Authority of Medway, Kent that dates back to 1275 when is was listed as Wydemere, from an Old English "wid" + "mere" meaning "broad pool". 1 The family conjecturally descend from Ralph de Mortimer, who built Wigmore Castle c. 1070 on the River Teme in Hereford. Wigmore Abbey, located nearby, was an Augustinian abbey with a grange and was founded by Ranulph de Mortimer (d. c. 1104), who was known as Lord of Wigmore. The abbey and the castle are both in ruins today. The exact relationship between the Wigmores and the Mortimers is unclear. Today, Wigmore is a new estate situated on the outskirts of Luton near Luton Airport, Bedfordshire. Early History of the Wiggmoore familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Wiggmoore research. Another 110 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1296, 1362, 1390, 1397, 1468, 1557, 1566, 1581 and 1588 are included under the topic Early Wiggmoore History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Wiggmoore Spelling VariationsBefore the advent of the printing press and the first dictionaries, the English language was not standardized. Sound was what guided spelling in the Middle Ages, so one person's name was often recorded under several variations during a single lifetime. Spelling variations were common, even among the names of the most literate people. Known variations of the Wiggmoore family name include Wigmore, Wigmer, Wiggmore and others. Early Notables of the Wiggmoore familyAnother 33 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Wiggmoore Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Migration of the Wiggmoore family to IrelandSome of the Wiggmoore family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt. Migration of the Wiggmoore familyTo escape the political and religious chaos of this era, thousands of English families began to migrate to the New World in search of land and freedom from religious and political persecution. The passage was expensive and the ships were dark, crowded, and unsafe; however, those who made the voyage safely were encountered opportunities that were not available to them in their homeland. Many of the families that reached the New World at this time went on to make important contributions to the emerging nations of the United States and Canada. Research into various historical records has revealed some of first members of the Wiggmoore family to immigrate North America: Elias Wiggmore who settled in Virginia in 1635; Nathaniel Wiggmore settled in Virginia in 1663; James Wiggmore arrived in Pennsylvania in 1771.
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