Woodham History, Family Crest & Coats of ArmsEarly Origins of the Woodham familyThe surname Woodham was first found in Essex, where there are no fewer that three townships and parishes so named: Woodham-Ferris in the union and hundred of Chelmsford; Woodham-Mortimer, a parish, in the union of Maldon, hundred of Dengie; and Woodham-Walter a parish, in the union of Maldon, hundred of Dengie. 1 Literally the place names mean "dweller at the enclosure by the Wood [Old English wudu + ham(m)] where the Middle English form was usually Wodeham. " 2 The name is often pluralized to Woodhams. 3 Ironically, there was only one listing of the family in the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273, Thomas de Wodeham, as the rest were found as follows: Peter de Wodeham, Northamptonshire; Egipgidias de Wodeham, London; and Reginald de Wodeham, Gloucestershire. 4 Adam Goddam or Woodham (d. 1358) was a Franciscan, "born towards the end of the thirteenth century, and attended Ockham's lectures on the 'Sentences' of Peter Lombard at Oxford, where he was presumably a member of the Franciscan convent. His studies under Ockham must have ended in the first years of the fourteenth century, when his master went to Paris." 5 One source claims that the family or a branch of the family was originally found in Dorset where they held a family seat from very ancient times, at Catherston-Lewston, a parish, in the union of Bridport, hundred of Whitchurch Canonicorum. "This place was the residence of a branch of the Wadhams, by one of whom, Nicholas Wadham, and Dorothy his wife, Wadham College, Oxford, was founded. " 1 The Woodend variant is interesting, in that Bardsley notes "this surname still exists in Furness, North Lancashire. My instances prove it to have been there for 300 years at least. No doubt it has existed there for six centuries." 4 Despite this, he goes on to note the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 records Adam de Wodeshende, Dorset, hundreds of miles away. Later the Lancashire Wills at Richmond includes: Nicholas Woodend, of Ulverston, 1624 and James Woodend, of Lowick, 1662. Early History of the Woodham familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Woodham research. Another 80 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1613, 1625, 1743, 1769, 1773, 1789 and 1803 are included under the topic Early Woodham History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Woodham Spelling VariationsSpelling variations of this family name include: Woodham, Wodam, Wodham and others. Early Notables of the Woodham familyNotables of this surname at this time include:
Woodham RankingIn the United States, the name Woodham is the 8,152nd most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 6
Some of the first settlers of this family name were: Woodham Settlers in United States in the 17th CenturyWoodham Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
Woodham Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include: Woodham Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include: Woodham Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century
The British first settled the British West Indies around 1604. They made many attempts but failed in some to establish settlements on the Islands including Saint Lucia and Grenada. By 1627 they had managed to establish settlements on St. Kitts (St. Christopher) and Barbados, but by 1641 the Spanish had moved in and destroyed some of these including those at Providence Island. The British continued to expand the settlements including setting the First Federation in the British West Indies by 1674; some of the islands include Barbados, Bermuda, Cayman Island, Turks and Caicos, Jamaica and Belize then known as British Honduras. By the 1960's many of the islands became independent after the West Indies Federation which existed from 1958 to 1962 failed due to internal political conflicts. After this a number of Eastern Caribbean islands formed a free association. 11 Woodham Settlers in West Indies in the 18th Century
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