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Origins of the Adamthwaite surname
It seems
highly likely that the earliest Adamthwaites were occupants of an
isolated group of farmhouses called Adamthwaite which is located on the
moors in the parish of Ravenstonedale, Westmorland, England. The
Pipe Roll of Cumberland and Westmorland of 1248 mentions an AdamThwayt
however this name appears to have
evolved from earlier entries (dating 1235 through to 1247) where it is shown as
Adam Cayt or Adam Kayet. Several mentions of the original group
of farms at Adamthwaite have been found in manorial documents dating back to the
mid 1500s, but the present building was rebuilt by Thomas Adamthwaite in 1684.
The meaning of the name: ‘Thwaite’
- A variety of opinions as to the meaning of this termination has been
entertained. In Eng Surn. 1 I defined it, upon the authority of an
intelligent correspondent, as “land reclaimed from a wood or forest”, while “a
rough marshy ground”, and “a pasture” were also suggested.
According to Verstegen, the
pluralized version, Thwaytes, signifies “a feller of wood.” A correspondent of
the Gentleman’s Magazine, August 1856 makes it “a set of farm buildings”. I
think the origin of the word must be looked for in the Anglo-Saxon word
thweotan to cut down and that it means an open space cleared in a field. I
find this opinion supported by Halliwell – “land which was once covered with
wood, brought into pasture or tillage”. It is therefore, nearly or quite
synonymous with Royd. The prefix seems sometimes to refer to the name of
the settler who effected the clearing, as in Adamthwaite, Simonthwaite,
Godderthwaite, sometimes to the trees etc. cleared as in Thornthwaite,
Linethwaite, Hawthornthwaite, Brackenthwaite, and sometimes to less intelligible
causes. The termination prevails in the counties of Cumberland , Westmorland
and North Lancashire .
From the notebook of EA – name of
author not recorded
Variants
The
earliest occurrences of the name appear as Adamthwayt, Adamtwyat
and Adamthwat, later becoming Adamthwait. The current form is
usually Adamthwaite (occasionally Adamsthwaite). However, the
variety of mistranscriptions, particularly on on-line censuses, is amazing –
Idamthwate, Adamthavale, Adamshwaste, Adam Hinote, Adamthvisete, Adamtunriz,
Adanthwill, Adamthoah, Dolamothwaite, Adamttimould, Adam Schwarte, and my
personal favourite Shdamthawa. I am assured that the correct pronunciation (in
and around Ravenstonedale at least) is Adamth’t. [HINT: if you are
searching records, the best way of picking up most mistranscriptions is to enter
adamt* as your search term]
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