The present generation of the Eldend family is only the most recent to bear a name that dates back to the ancient Anglo-Saxon
culture of Britain. Their name comes from having lived in an enclosed place.
The surname Eldend literally means dweller at the old enclosure or dwelling.
Early Origins of the Eldend family
The surname Eldend was first found in Essex
at Aldham. In all cases, the place name meant "the old homestead," or "homestead of a man called Ealda," from the Old English personal name
+ "ham." CITATION[CLOSE]
Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
and Aldham, Suffolk
were both listed in the Domesday Book
of 1086 and both were listed under the same spelling, Aldeham. CITATION[CLOSE]
Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
Another branch of the family was found at Elford in Staffordshire
. "Before the Conquest the manor [of Elford] belonged to Earl Algar, and in the reign of Henry III. was held by William de Alderne, whose descendants continued to enjoy it until the marriage of the heiress of Sir John Alderney with the Stanleys, when the property passed to that family." CITATION[CLOSE]
Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
Early History of the Eldend family
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Eldend research.Another 50 words (4 lines of text) covering the years 1616, 1660 and 1652 are included under the topic Early Eldend History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Eldend Spelling Variations
Until the dictionary, an invention of only the last few hundred
years, the English language lacked any comprehensive system of spelling rules. Consequently, spelling variations
in names are frequently found in early Anglo-Saxon
and later Anglo-Norman documents. One person's name was often spelled several different ways over a lifetime. The recorded variations of Eldend include Aldham, Aldam, Aldem, Aldum, Aldeham, Aldom, Eldham, Eldam and many more.
Early Notables of the Eldend family (pre 1700)
Distinguished members of the family include Aldham of Shrimpling, Norfolk; and Thomas Aldham or Aldam (c.
1616-1660) was an English Quaker who was imprisoned in York in 1652 for speaking in a "steeple-house" (church), and fined 40 shillings... Another 38 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Eldend Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Migration of the Eldend family to the New World and Oceana
Thousands of English families boarded ships sailing to the New World in the hope of escaping the unrest found in England
at this time. Although the search for opportunity and freedom from persecution abroad took the lives of many because of the cramped conditions and unsanitary nature of the vessels, the opportunity perceived in the growing colonies of North America beckoned. Many of the settlers who survived the journey went on to make important contributions to the transplanted cultures of their adopted countries. The Eldend were among these contributors, for they have been located in early North American records: Daniel Aldam aged 27 who settled in Maryland in 1775.