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![Show Contents]() Wyfordbey History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
The name Wyfordbey arrived in England after the Norman Conquest of 1066. The Wyfordbey 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 Wyfordbey familyThe surname Wyfordbey 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 Wyfordbey familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Wyfordbey 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 Wyfordbey History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Wyfordbey Spelling VariationsAnglo-Norman names are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. When the Normans became the ruling people of England in the 11th century, they introduced a new language into a society where the main languages of Old and later Middle English had no definite spelling rules. These languages were more often spoken than written, so they blended freely with one another. Contributing to this mixing of tongues was the fact that medieval scribes spelled words according to sound, ensuring that a person's name would appear differently in nearly every document in which it was recorded. The name has been 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 Wyfordbey 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 Wyfordbey Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.  Migration of the Wyfordbey family to Ireland
Some of the Wyfordbey 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 Wyfordbey familyFor many English families, the political and religious disarray that plagued their homeland made the frontiers of the New World an attractive prospect. Thousands migrated, aboard cramped disease-ridden ships. They arrived sick, poor, and hungry, but were welcomed in many cases with far greater opportunity than at home in England. Many of these hardy settlers went on to make important contributions to the emerging nations in which they landed. Among early immigrants bearing the name Wyfordbey or a variant listed above were: 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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