Volume 11 , Issue 37

Warwick England & Family Name

Warwick (pronounced /ˈwɒrɪk/ WORR-ik with a silent w in the middle) is the county town of Warwickshire, England. The town lies upon the River Avon, 18 km (11 miles) south of Coventry and 4 km (2.5 miles) west of Leamington Spa (although the towns are conjoined), with a population of 25,434 (2001 census).

According to early tradition, Warwick was founded on the banks of the River Avon in the year 914 AD when Anglo Saxon Ethelfleda, sister of Mercian king Edward the Elder built defences against Danish (Viking) invaders; these were to be the early origins of Warwick Castle. The name 'Warwick' means "dwellings by the weir".

A weir (pronounced /ˈwɪər/), also known as a lowhead dam, is a small overflow-type dam commonly used to raise the level of a river or stream. Weirs have traditionally been used to create mill ponds in such places. Water flows over the top of a weir, although some weirs have sluice gates which release water at a level below the top of the weir. The crest of an overflow spillway on a large dam is often called a weir.

In medieval times, Warwick remained under the control of various Earls of Warwick, mostly of the Beauchamp family, and became a walled town. Today the only remains of the town walls are the east and west gatehouses. The eastern gatehouse now serves as part of the King's High School, a sister institution to Warwick School. Warwick was not incorporated as a Borough until 1545.

The Warwick Family Name
The Anglo-Saxon name Warwick comes from the family having resided in the county of Warwickshire or in the settlement of Warwick in the county of Cumberland. The surname Warwick belongs to the large category of Anglo-Saxon habitation names, which are derived from pre-existing names for towns, villages, parishes, farmsteads, counties, or other locations.

Warwick has been spelled many different ways, including Before English spelling became standardized over the last few hundred years, spelling variations in names were a common occurrence. As the English language changed in the Middle Ages, absorbing pieces of Latin and French, as well as other languages, the spelling of people's names also changed considerably, even over a single lifetime. Warwick, Warwyke, Warrick, Warrack, Warrock, Warrich and many more.

First found in Cumberland where they were Lords of the manor which was anciently written Warthwick. The first on record was Alwine of Warwick who held the castles and manor about the year 1050. His son, Turchil de Warwick appeared in the Domesday Book in 1086 as a tenant of the same manors.

In an attempt to escape the chaos experienced in England, many English families boarded overcrowded and diseased ships sailing for the shores of North America and other British colonies. Those families hardy enough, and lucky enough, to make the passage intact were rewarded with land and a social environment less prone to religious and political persecution. Many of these families became important contributors to the young colonies in which they settled. Early immigration and passenger lists have documented some of the first Warwicks to arrive on North American shores: James Warwick settled in Placienta, Newfoundland, in 1784; John Warrick settled in Fogo, Newfoundland, in 1804; John Warwick settled in Virginia in 1774.
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