Heddins Family History |
THE EVOLUTION OF
SURNAMES Almost all European surnames have been derived from one or more of four different means, from the name of a place of residence, either past or present, such as Hedon, a place in England (later evolved into the surname Heddins), from the name of the man's occupation, such as Carpenter, from the father's name, such as Dodson (son of Dod), from a descriptive nickname, such as Petty (one short in stature). France and England were probably the first to begin the
use of surnames, while Germany and some of the other nations began later. By
the end of the 14th century in England surnames were generally hereditary,
especially among the nobles and landowners. Among the lower classes since
the son generally learned and followed the trade of his father, the same
occupational name was applied, such as Carpenter or Barber, initially
because it applied to the son as well as the father, but it soon became
merely an inherited name. THE EVOLUTION OF OUR
HEDDINS NAME The name Hedden is a name that has been traced to Germany, and Heddens to Switzerland. Our Heddins or Heddin name apparently originated in England, but the people with the similar spellings may be distant cousins who settled in other European countries. In the year 1273, Gerard de Hedon and Symon de Hedon were both living in Nottinghamshire County, England. Nicholas de Hedon was living in Cambridge, England in the same year, and Willelmus de Hedon was living in York County, England in the year 1379. These may have been our early Heddins ancestors. According to family tradition that has been passed down through the years, our distant Heddins ancestor and his brother came to New York from England. Although more research needs to be done to positively confirm it, it is believed that John & Jane (Nichols) Hadden were our distant ancestors who married in London, England in 1622 and soon immigrated to New York. Whether John Hadden came with a brother or not has not yet been determined. If the tentative research is correct, John's great-great-great-great-grandson, Josiah "Isaiah" Heddins was the first in our line to begin using the altered spelling of Heddins after his service in the War of 1812. Isaiah is believed to have been a son of Private John Hadden/Haddon who fought in the Revolutionary War against the British. (written by Roland Heddins) |
Family Biographies |
James & Clarinda (Brewster) Heddins |
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Marriage Records |
James & Clarinda (Brewster/Bruster) Heddins Marriage Certificate (Coles Co, IL) Isaiah L. & Julia (Ballard) Heddins Marriage Certificate (Van Zandt Co, TX) |
Census & Tax Records for Heddins & Related Families | ||||||
1790-1810 | 1820-1840 | 1850-1860 | 1870-1880 | 1900 | ||
Heddins Listings in East Texas Tax Records (1855-1910) 1870 Van Zandt County, Texas Census Image (James Heddins family) 1860 Van Zandt County, Texas Census Image (Joshua Ballard family) (under construction) |
Miscellaneous Documents |
Saloma Heddins' Pension Application for Isaiah's service in the War of
1812 Map of Heddins & Brewster Land in the Pleasant Grove Township of Coles Co., IL
James Heddins' Family Bible
Records:
Page 1
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Page 4 James Heddins' Land Grant Documents: Page 1 Page 2 Page 3 James Ballard's Will (Joshua's grandfather, Onslow Co, NC, 1824) Newspaper Article About Joshua & Louisa Ballard (circa 1909) |
Heddins Family Photos Site Map