Hawarden

This interesting surname, having long associations with the north-western English county of Lancashire, is of Anglo-Saxon origin, and is a locational name either from Hawarden in the former Welsh county of Flintshire (bordering Cheshire), or from Harden in Staffordshire. The former place, recorded as "Hoardine" in the Domesday Book of 1086; as "Haurdina" circa 1100 in the Chartulary of the Abbey of St. Werburgh, Chester; and as "Haworthyn" in 1275, is believed to have as its component elements the Olde English pre 7th Century "hea", high, and "worthign", enclosure, yard about a house, open place in a village, homestead; hence, "hea-worthign". This placename is pronounced "Har'den", and in the vicinity is Hawarden Castle, formerly the seat of the late Right Hon. W.E. Gladstone, M.P. Harden in Staffordshire, recorded as "haworthyn, Hawerthyn" in the 14th Century, shares the same meaning and derivation. On February 3rd 1545, Francis Hewerdyne was christened at Ingleby Greenhow, Yorkshire, and on January 21st 1550, Elline, daughter of John Hawardeyne or Hawarden, was christened at Farnworth near Prescot, Lancashire. A Coat of Arms granted to the Hawarden family of Lancashire in 1665, is a shield divided quarterly black and silver, with a cross flory counterchanged and a bordure ermine, the Crest being a stag's head ermine, horned gold, emerging from a gold ducal coronet. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of John Hawarden, which was dated May 1st 1543, a christening witness at Farnworth near Prescot, Lancashire, during the reign of King Henry V111, known as "Bluff King Hal", 1509 - 1547. Surnames became necessary when governments introduced personal taxation. In England this was known as Poll Tax. Throughout the centuries, surnames in every country have continued to "develop" often leading to astonishing variants of the original spelling.