Origin and Meaning of the name Woof
The name WOOF is very probably a corruption of Wolf, the animal, as it tends to sound like Woof when pronounced in Northern Dialect.
I first came across the Woof brothers, George & Richard Woof living with my Pearson family, William & Betsy Pearson at Thursgill Farm, Sedbergh in Yorkshire on the 1851 & 1861 censuses. I then came across a marriage between Mary Pearson and William Woof and suspected there must be some family relationship between my Pearsons and the Woof brothers staying with them. Another Woof-Pearson connection I found was: Richard Pearson married an Ellen Woof (Widow of Robert Woof) around 1861.
Robert Woof b. 1828
In 1854, Robert Woof married Ellen Lancaster (b. 1828).
They had at least one son:
John Woof christenend on 1st March 1860
Robert Woof's widow, Ellen married Richard Pearson in about 1861. On the 1881 census:
Living in Moss Walls, Beetham
Richard Pearson Head Married 47 born Storth Labourer
Ellen Pearson Wife Married 46 born Storth
John Woof Stepson Unmarr 20 born Storth Labourer
Robert Pearson Son 13 born Storth Scholar
M. A. Pearson Dau 11 born Storth Scholar
W. Pearson Son 9 born Storth Scholar
Richard Pearson Son 6 born Storth Scholar
Sarah Lace Niece 16 born Storth Scholar
George Woof b. 1829
On the 1851 census for Sedbergh, at Thursgill, Soolbank I found George Woof visiting my Pearson family:
William Pearson age 34 Farmer, Born Beetham.George Woof emigrated to Australia in about 1853.
Richard Woof b. 1840
On the 1861 census at my ggg grandfather, William Pearson's farm, Thursgill, Soolbank there is a Richard Woof:
William PEARSON/Head/Marr/44/Farmer 150ac/born BeethamRichard Woof married Mary (b. 1844). On the 1881 census they are living in Storth, Westmorland and Richard's occupation is an agricultural labourer. They have the following children:
John P. Woof, b. 1868
Mary Jane Woof, b. 1870
George Thomas Woof, b. 1872
Margaret Woof, b. 1875
Clara Woof, b. 1877
Betsy Woof, b. 1880
William Woof m. 1825
William Woof married Mary Pearson (widow of Thomas Pearson) on 11th April 1825. Mary Pearson was my gggg grandmother and so the Woof brothers, Robert, George & Richard, are my ggg grandfather, William Pearson's step brothers.
Click above to view my Woof Family Group Sheets
Woof Surname Noticeboard at Rootsweb.com
If you have or know of a website dedicated to the Woof Surname, please let me know so that I can include a link on this page.
Contact me if you would like me to add your details to the list of Woof researchers below:
| Researcher | Given names (if known), Geographical Area & Dates |
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