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![Show Contents]() Wudeefithey History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
The name Wudeefithey was carried to England in the enormous movement of people that followed the Norman Conquest of 1066. The Wudeefithey 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 Wudeefithey familyThe surname Wudeefithey 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 Wudeefithey familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Wudeefithey research. Another 173 words (12 lines of text) covering the years 1226, 1330, 1333, 1338, 1354, 1358, 1636, 1676, 1680 and 1700 are included under the topic Early Wudeefithey History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Wudeefithey Spelling VariationsMultitudes of spelling variations are a hallmark of Anglo Norman names. Most of these names evolved in the 11th and 12th century, in the time after the Normans introduced their own Norman French language into a country where Old and Middle English had no spelling rules and the languages of the court were French and Latin. To make matters worse, medieval scribes spelled words according to sound, so names frequently appeared differently in the various documents in which they were recorded. 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 Wudeefithey familyOutstanding 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 Wudeefithey Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.  Migration of the Wudeefithey family to Ireland
Some of the Wudeefithey 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 Wudeefithey familyBecause of this political and religious unrest within English society, many people decided to immigrate to the colonies. Families left for Ireland, North America, and Australia in enormous numbers, traveling at high cost in extremely inhospitable conditions. The New World in particular was a desirable destination, but the long voyage caused many to arrive sick and starving. Those who made it, though, were welcomed by opportunities far greater than they had known at home in England. Many of these families went on to make important contributions to the emerging nations of Canada and the United States. Analysis of immigration records indicates that some of the first North American immigrants bore the name Wudeefithey or a variant listed above: 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)
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