|
![Show Contents]() Wodeforthey History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
The name Wodeforthey reached English shores for the first time with the ancestors of the Wodeforthey family as they migrated following the Norman Conquest of 1066. The Wodeforthey family lived in Leicestershire, at Woodford which was in turn derived from the words wood and ford, and refers to a residence near both a ford and a wood. [1] "The Middle English form was usually Wodeford, as in the case of the Wiltshire and Somerset places. The Anglo-Saxon form was Wudaforda, as in a Hampshire charter dated A.D. 701. " [2] Early Origins of the Wodeforthey familyThe surname Wodeforthey was first found in Leicestershire, but there is also a parish in Wiltshire, four miles from Salisbury and a parish in Essex, eight miles from London. [3] The Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 showed scattered listings for the family: Geoffrey de Wodeford, Wiltshire; Symon Wodeford, Buckinghamshire; and Nicholas de Wodeford, Gloucestershire. [3] Kirby's Quest listed "Geoffrey de Wodeford, Somerset, 1 Edward I [(during the first year's reign of King Edward I)]" [4] William of Woodford or Wydford (fl. 1380-1411), was "a Franciscan and was educated at Oxford, where he graduated D.D. There is little doubt that Woodford is the William de Wydford whom Margaret, countess of Norfolk, described in 1384 as her 'well-beloved father in God,' and for the term of whose life she granted the minoresses of Aldgate. " [5] Scotland is of note too as the name was derived "from the lands of the same name in the parish of St. Boswells, Roxburghshire. Jordan de Wodford witnessed a charter of Walter de Berkeley, c. 1170, and Walterus de Wudeford witnessed a confirmation charter by Alexander II in Peebles, 1228. Robert de Wodforde sometime between 1285 and 1306 bestowed his whole property of Wodfordehous in the territory of Lessedewyne upon the monks of Melrose. " [6] Early History of the Wodeforthey familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Wodeforthey research. Another 173 words (12 lines of text) covering the years 1330, 1354, 1338, 1358, 1226, 1333, 1636, 1700, 1636, 1676 and 1680 are included under the topic Early Wodeforthey History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Wodeforthey Spelling VariationsAnglo-Norman names tend to be marked by an enormous number of spelling variations. This is largely due to the fact that Old and Middle English lacked any spelling rules when Norman French was introduced in the 11th century. The languages of the English courts at that time were French and Latin. These various languages mixed quite freely in the evolving social milieu. The final element of this mix is that medieval scribes spelled words according to their sounds rather than any definite rules, so a name was often spelled in as many different ways as the number of documents it appeared in. The name was spelled Woodford, Woodforde, Woodfort, Wudeford, Wudefort, Woodforte, Wuidford, Wuidfort, Wodefort, Wodeford, Woodfurt, Woodfurte, Woodferte, Woodferd, Wyfordby, Wydford, Wyford, Wyfort and many more. Early Notables of the Wodeforthey family (pre 1700)Outstanding amongst the family at this time was Samuel Woodford (1636-1700), English divine and poet, born on 15 April 1636 in the parish of All Hallows in the Wall, London. He was the eldest...
Another 33 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Wodeforthey Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.  Migration of the Wodeforthey family to Ireland
Some of the Wodeforthey family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt. More information about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Migration of the Wodeforthey familyBecause of the political and religious discontent in England, families began to migrate abroad in enormous numbers. Faced with persecution and starvation at home, the open frontiers and generally less oppressive social environment of the New World seemed tantalizing indeed to many English people. The trip was difficult, and not all made it unscathed, but many of those who did get to Canada and the United States made important contributions to the young nations in which they settled. Some of the first North American settlers with Wodeforthey name or one of its variants: Richard Woodford and Roger arrived in Virginia in 1651; Thomas Woodford arrived in Massachusetts in 1632; Thomas Woodford arrived in Plymouth, Massachusetts from Lincolnshire in 1631.
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: Pro aris et focis
Motto Translation: For our altars and our home.
- Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
- Harrison, Henry, Surnames of the United Kingdom: A Concise Etymological Dictionary Baltimore: Geneological Publishing Company, 2013. 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)
- Dickinson, F.H., Kirby's Quest for Somerset of 16th of Edward the 3rd London: Harrison and Sons, Printers in Ordinary to Her Majesty, St, Martin's Lane, 1889. Print.
- Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print
- Black, George F., The Surnames of Scotland Their Origin, Meaning and History. New York: New York Public Library, 1946. Print. (ISBN 0-87104-172-3)
|
England
Ireland
Scotland
