Worsman History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

Early Origins of the Worsman family

The surname Worsman was first found in Devon where they held a family seat as Lords of the Manor of Wortham from ancient times. 1

Wortham is also a village and parish in Suffolk which dates back to Edward the Confessor. Worsham is a hamlet in Oxfordshire which dates back hundreds of years. Worthen is a village in Shropshire. "In this and the neighbouring parishes is a very singular ridge of stones termed Stiperstones, extending several miles towards Shrewsbury, and said to be the ancient boundary between England and Wales. " 2

The place names are derived from the "residence at an enclosure or homestead, Old English worþign, a term particularly common in the West Midlands." 1

Early rolls included entries for Richard de Worthin in the Hundredorum Rolls for Shropshire in 1274; Richard atte Wonhyne in Worcestershire in 1316; and William atte Wurthen who lived at Wortham, Devon in 1330. 1

Early History of the Worsman family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Worsman research. Another 89 words (6 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Worsman History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Worsman Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Wortham, Worthem and others.

Early Notables of the Worsman family

More information is included under the topic Early Worsman Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Worsman migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Worsman Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century

Robert Worsman was a planter in New Harbour, Newfoundland in 1823 3

Worsman migration to New Zealand +

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:

Worsman Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Alice Worsman, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Halcione" in 1885 4

Citations +

Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
Seary E.R., Family Names of the Island of Newfoundland, Montreal: McGill's-Queen's Universtity Press 1998 ISBN 0-7735-1782-0
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 12th December 2018). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html