HADFIELD, the origins of...
David Hadfield
Many words have been written by
well-meaning people regarding the origins of the surname HADFIELD but
unfortunately, most have been inaccurate.
From both a historical and genealogical perspective it is my intention
here to attempt to shed some light on this often asked and somewhat confused
question.
Firstly, I would highly recommend that
anyone in possession of the many professionally manufactured and illuminated
surname plaques, wallhangings, laminated certificates, etc. simply place them
in the garbage where they belong.
Although very colourful and often a source of dinner conversation these
somewhat expensive but erroneous items do nothing more than add to the
confusion.
Commencing
(in good genealogical fashion) with
the present day, how many of you with the surname Hadfield go through life
always having to say, “it’s Hadfield with a d, not a t”. This is usually because people tend to write what
they hear and due to accent or dialect it can frequently be difficult to
differentiate between a ‘had’ and a ‘hat’. I have Hadfield cousins who have siblings who
have a birth certificate registered with the surname of Hatfield. The local Registrar, who may have originated
from another county, wrote what he thought he heard the informant say. Misspelling, especially throughout central
and northern
Many Hadfield families that migrated
to
A most important date in our search
for the origin of Hadfield was 1558 when Queen Elizabeth I ascended the throne
of
It isn’t until the 15th
century that records start to show an origin (or corruption), of the name
Hadfield. A good example of this is the
The Last Testament of Stepham Hatefeld dated 1492 and displays,
in Latin, that Stepham was the Escheator (Crown Tax Collector) of
Holderness,
Prior to the 15th century Hatefeld,
Hetfeld and Hedfeld were names frequently used to describe people who lived in
and around heath or marsh land and are considered to be of early British or
Saxon origin and over the centuries have changed little.
As for a crest or coat-of-arms, anything
other than a scallop shell or raised arm with chalice is rubbish.