Withers (surname)

Withers (surname)

Withers (earlier variants Wither, Wyther) is an English surname of Anglo-Saxon origin. It is today a not uncommon family name throughout the Anglosphere.

History

The family name appears on various early documents such as in a charter of Æthelred II, dated 1005 A.D. where one of the witnesses signs his name as Ego Wi [th] er minister. In the Domesday Book of 1089 the name is shown as a tenant prior to that date. In the 11th century, the name showed no prefix, suggesting that it was not derived from a place, as were many names at that time. Rather, the name was apparently personal. The meaning of the name is uncertain. Various authorities have proposed "wider" (Old English, "wood"), or words meaning "to withstand", "warrior" or "willow tree".

Records of the 11th century indicate the holding of land in many counties of England by persons named Wyther. A continuous record of a Wyther family does not appear until the time of Henry II (reigned 1154-89). This was a Wyther family of County Lancaster (now Lancashire) including Sir Robert Wyther, Knight, of Pendleton Hall, Lancashire, and of Halton, Cheshire, Seneschal to Roger de Lucy, Constable of Chester (1179-89). He married Joan, daughter of Sir Adam de Bostock, Knight, of Davenham, County Chester (now Cheshire).

By the 15th century, Wyther families descended from Sir Robert Wyther were living in Cheshire, Lancaster, Wiltshire, Essex, London, Somersetshire, and Hampshire Counties. (For the Hampshire County branch, see "Berry's Hampshire County Genealogy".)

Notable people named Withers, Wither, or Wyther

*Alexander Scott Withers, historian of early Appalachian Indian-White Warfare
*Bill Withers, African-American singer-songwriter
*Charles W. J. Withers, Scottish historical geographer
*Garrett Lee Withers (1884-1953), U.S. Senator & U.S. congressman from Kentucky
*George Wither (1588-1667), English poet and satirist
*Googie Withers, British movie actress
*Grant Withers (1905-1959), American movie actor
*H. W. Withers, American college basketball coach
*Hartley Withers, financial journalist
*Hildegarde Withers, fictional character appearing in novels by Stuart Palmer
*Jane Withers, American radio, television and movie actress
*Jones M. Withers (1814-1890), American lawyer, politician & Confederate general
*Lincoln Withers, Australian rugby league player
*Mark Withers, American television actor
*Michael Withers, Irish rugby league player
*Pick Withers, drummer for the rock band Dire Straits
*Ramsey Muir Withers, former Chief of the Defence Staff, Canadian Armed Forces.
*Reginald Grieve Withers, former Australian Senator
*Dr. Robert Enoch Withers (1821–1907), U.S. Senator (Virginia) & U.S. Consul to Hong Kong
*Steve Withers, American pianist
*Sir William Withers (1657-1720), Lord Mayor of London (1707-1708)
*Matt Withers (1979- ) Political Correspondent, Wales on Sunday

References

*"Withers Family of the County Lancaster, England, and of Stafford County, Virginia Establishing the Ancestry of Robert Edwin Withers, III" Presented by Mr. Robert Edwin Withers, Sr. of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania (1947).

*"Berry's Hampshire County Genealogy"

*Bigg-Wither, Reginald Fitz Hugh, "Materials for a History of the Wither Family", Winchester: Warren & Son, 1907.

*Gatewood, Virginia Pierce and Robert L., "A Withers-Downey Genealogy: A Withers History With Allied Lines", Conway, AR: 1966.

*Recum, Franz V., "Withers -- America or A Collection of Genealogical Data Concerning the History of the Descendants in the Male Line of James Withers (1680/1-1746) of Stafford County, Virginia", New York: 1949.


Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Поможем написать курсовую

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Withers — Wither redirects here. For the comic character, see Wither (comics). : For the family name, see Withers (surname). The withers is the highest point on the back of a non upright animal, on the ridge between its shoulder blades. HorsesThe withers… …   Wikipedia

  • Withers — Recorded as Withar, Wither, and the patronymic Withers, this interesting surname of English origins, has two possible sources. The first is from the Old Norse male personal name Vitharr , or the Old Danish form Withar . These names are composed… …   Surnames reference

  • Wither — Recorded in the spellings of Wider, Wither, Withur, and Withers, this interesting name is medieval English. It has two possible origins, the first of which is from the Norse male personal name Vitharr , or the Old Danish form Withar . Composed of …   Surnames reference

  • Withur — Recorded in the spellings of Wider, Wither, Withur, and Withers, this interesting name is medieval English. It has two possible origins, the first of which is from the Norse male personal name Vitharr , or the Old Danish form Withar . Composed of …   Surnames reference

  • Weathers — Recorded as Weather, Whether, Wither and the patronymics Weathers, Wethers, Withers, and others, this is an English surname. It has absolutely nothing to do with the weather, but was an occupational name for a shepherd. The derivation is from the …   Surnames reference

  • Wethers — Recorded as Weather, Whether, Wither and the patronymics Weathers, Wethers, Withers, and others, this is an English surname. It has absolutely nothing to do with the weather, but was an occupational name for a shepherd. The derivation is from the …   Surnames reference

  • Craig Rice (author) — Craig Rice (pseudonym of Georgiana Ann Craig; 1908 – 1957) was an American author of mystery novels and short stories, sometimes described as the Dorothy Parker of detective fiction. She was the first mystery writer to appear on the cover of Time …   Wikipedia

  • List of Harry Potter characters — This is a list of characters in the Harry Potter series. They are all fictional characters who have appeared in a Harry Potter related book, author J. K. Rowling s website as the Wizard of the Month , the Daily Prophet (the newsletter of the… …   Wikipedia

  • Butterfint — This very unusual surname has two possible sources. Firstly, the surname may be of early rench origin, derived from the French elements butte , hill, de , of, and vent , wind; hence the windy hill , and may have been a locational name from some… …   Surnames reference

  • The Devon School — is a fictional school created by author John Knowles in the novels A Separate Peace and Peace Breaks Out. It is loosely based on Knowles alma mater, Phillips Exeter Academy. Like Phillips Exeter during World War II, Devon is a boys boarding… …   Wikipedia

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
… Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”