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Some History of the Woodward Surname The chronicles of England, though sometimes shrouded in the mists of time, reveal the early records of the name Woodward as a Norman surname which ranks as one of the oldest. The history of the name is interwoven into the colorful fabric as an intrinsic part of the history of Britain. Careful research by professional analysts using such ancient manuscripts as the Domesday Book (compiled in 1086 by William the Conqueror), the Ragman Rolls, the Wace poem, the Honour Roll of the Battel Abbey, The Curia Regis, Pipe Rolls, the Falaise Roll, tax records, baptismals, family genealogies, and local parish and church records, shows the first record of the name Woodward was found in Essex where Commander Wadard was granted lands (Domesday Book-1086) by King William for his assistance at the Battle of Hastings. The first recorded scion of the family, (Falaise Roll. p.112), Commander Wadard assembled King William's army at Saint Valery in Normandy for the invasion of England. It was he, Wadard, who advised King William of the Saxon King Harold's approach from the north at Hastings. His descendents, Henry and Simon Wadard, were still Lords of their respective Manors in Essex in 1278. Many alternate spellings of the name were found. They were typically linked to a common root, usually one of the Norman nobles at the Battle of Hastings. The name, Woodward, occurred in many references, and from time to time, the surname included the spellings of Woodward, Woodyard, Woodwood, Wadard, Waudard, and many more. Scribes recorded and spelled the name as it sounded.It was not uncommon for a person to be born with one spelling, married with another, and buried with a headstone that showed another. Sometimes preferences for different spelling variations either came from a division of the family, or, had religious or patriotic reasons. The family name Woodward is believed to be descended originally from the Norman race. They were commonly believed to be of French origin but were, more accurately, of Viking origin. The Vikings landed in the Ornkeys and Northern Scotland about the year 870 A.D., under their Chief, Stirgud the Stout. Later, under their Earl, Thorfin Rollo, they invaded France about 910 A. D. The French King, Charles the Simple, after Rollo laid siege to Paris, finally conceded defeat and granted Northern France to Rollo. Rollo became the first Duke of Normandy, the territory of the North Men. William the Conqueror, who invaded and defeated England in 1066, was descended from the first Duke Rollo of Normandy. William the Conqueror took a census of most of England in 1086, and recorded it in the Domesday Book. A family name capable of being traced back to this document, or to Hastings, was a signal of honor for most families during the middle ages, and even to this day. The surname Woodward emerged as a notable English family name in the county of Essex. The name appeared as Waudard in the Rotunda Obilus et Finibus having branched north to Warwickshire by 1290 and it was also entered in the Domesday Book in 1086. The Warwickshire branch emerged in the 15th century at Butlers Marston, Solihull, and Avon Dassett, and claimed descendency from John Wodeward, a ranger of Arden Forest (The name Woodward comes from "warden of the wood."). They later branched to Banker Broseley in Shropshire, Hopton Court in Shropshire, to Worcester, Gloucestershire, Buckinghamshire, and Kent where the nobleman Wadard had been granted a small estate by King William in 1066. Edward Woodward was Mayor of Oxford in 1490. Their present family seats are at Arley Castle, Hopton Court and Drumbarrow. Of note amongst the family at this time was Commander Wadard, the main architect of the invasion of England in 1066. Early Woodwards contributed much to local politics and in the affairs of England and Scotland. During the 12th century many of these Norman families moved north to Scotland, following Earl David of Huntingdon who would become King of Scotland. Later, in the 16th, 17th and 18th centuries, England and Scotland were ravaged by religious and political conflict. The Monarchy, the Church and Parliament fought for supremacy. The unrest caused many to think of distant lands. Settlers in Ireland became known as the "Adventurers for the land in Ireland." They "undertook" to keep the Protestant faith, and were granted lands previously owned by the Irish. There is no evidence that the family name Woodward migrated to Ireland, but this does not preclude the possibility of their scattered migration to that country. The news of attractions of the New World spread like wildfire. Many sailed aboard the fleet of sailing ships known as the "White Sails." In North America, migrants which could be considered kinsman of the family name Woodward, or variable spellings of the name included Christopher Woodward, who settled in Virginia in 1620; Henry and Mary Woodward settled in Virginia in 1623, along with Richard; John Woodward settled in Boston in 1634, along with George; Joseph Woodward, an English youngster, first settler at Boat Harbour in Newfoundland in 1860. From the port of arrival many settlers joined the wagon trains westward. During the War of Independence some declared their loyalty to the Crown and moved northward into Canada and became know as the United Empire Loyalists. Meanwhile the family name was prominent in the social scene. Some of the notables at the time were Professor Robert Woodward, Harvard University; Rev. Max Woodward; Foster Woodward; Professor Comer Woodward; Colonel Edward Woodward. Research has determined that the above Coat of Arms is the most ancient recorded for the family surname Woodward.
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