WITHERIDGE - where does it come from, what does it mean, and how did our families come to bear this fascinating name?

The word itself is Anglo-Saxon, but there has been some dispute about its meaning.  Ridge presents no problems, meaning an elevation deep in proportion to its width and height and generally having sloping sides.  The first part of the word has been said to mean either willow or castrated ram - quite a difference there!

There are quite a few locations linked with the name Witheridge:

1. The Town of Witheridge in mid-Devon, England
2. Witheridge Hill, north-west of Henley-on-Thames, Oxfordshire, England
3. Witheridge Wood on Witheridge Lane, Knotty Green, Buckinghamshire, England
4. Witheridge Farm, Exton, Somerset, England

The town of Witheridge, Devon, still bears the name, and where most of us have, at one time or another, stood  by the signpost to have our photograph taken! During Witheridge Day 1997, we had a coach trip from Tiverton, Devon, and our first stop was at the Town of Witheridge, where our party of approximately 45 people, was welcomed by the Town Crier and his wife.

However, looking at the map showing where Witheridges had settled, it seemed unlikely that people would have moved across Dartmoor to reach places like Wembury, Ermington, Kingsbridge and Plymouth.  It was then believed that maybe there was another place called Witheridge somewhere in South Devon.

The story of that hunch, and the subsequent search for a missing Domesday manor is too long to be told here, but it is known that the manor of Witheridge stood on the cliffs above Jennycliffe Bay, between Plymouth and Wembury. The manor has long since gone and, ironically, the original Anglo-Saxon name has changed over the years to the more elegant Withyhedge.  If you look at the 6-inch OS map of the area, you can still see a field bearing the name Withyhedge Brake.

Here we have a few sources for our surname, which suggests that we come from quite different families.  But were those families ever linked in any way, and if so can we prove it? That's another challenge!

Since the above story, excerpts of which was written by Kim Cook in the Spring of 1987, several other places that carry the Witheridge name have been found.

Taken from the Doomsday Book:

Witheridge Wirige / riga: King's land, formerly Countess Gytha. Large market place, the site of fairs since the 13th century.

Some of the Towns in Devon where our families originated:

• Berrynarbor Hurtesberie / beria: Walter de Douai. 200 sheep, 83 goats. Near the church, manor house, c.1480, of the Berry family

• Bradworthy Brawordine / Braor / Bravordina: Ralph de Pomeroy. 40 cattle, 30 unbroken mares, 120 sheep. Remote; a large central square.

• Combe Martin Cumbe / Comba: William de Falaise. 21 cattle, 140 sheep. Once known for lead and silver mines.

• Ermington Ermentone / -tona / Hermentona: King's land, formerly Asgar the Cramped. Salthouse. On the Saxon plan; church with a leaning spire.

• Modbury Mortberie / Motberia / Motbilie / -lia: Richard and Reginald from Count of Mortain. 30 goats. 16th century Exeter Inn.

• Tavistock Tavestoc / stocha: Tavistock Church; Ermenald, Ralph, another Ralph, Robert, Geoffrey and Hugh from the Church. Mill. Cob, 26 cattle, 200 sheep, 30 goats. Market town, originally a prehistoric settlement, then a Saxon site with an abbey in the 10th century; one of the 4 stannary towns after tin was discovered in the 13th century.

• Wembury - Of all the Witheridge settlements, Wembury is the nearest to the original Domesday manor of Witheridge, located in Plympton Hundred, near Jennycliffe Bay.  The earliest surviving parish registers of Wembury date from 1611, but there is evidence to suggest that by then Witheridges had already been living there for some time.  The first recorded Witheridge marriages there are Temperance Witheridge to Edmund Rous on 17 Jan 1627, and Moses Witheridge to Margaret Strapp on 10 Jun 1628.