Flowerdew
Flowerdew 
Origin of the Flowerdew surname
The name has nothing to do with flowers or with dew! The surname is an Anglicized form of a French name, derived from the 13th Century French words "flor", flower and "dieu", God. It was originally an oath-name. Other examples of oath-names include "Debney" (God bless you), "Dugard" (God protect you) and "Pardew" (By God!). Some of these may also have been nicknames, as in this instance, the term may have been given to someone who was greatly concerned with their smartness of dress.
Spelling variations include: Flowerdew, Flowerdue, Flourdough, Flowerdo, Flowerday and many more.
Earliest known Flowerdew people
The surname is recorded in England as early as 1461 when John Flowerdew was recorded as parson at Drayton, near Norwich in Norfolk. William (son of John and Kate Flowerdew) was christened in 1532 at nearby Hethersett. He was probably a brother of Edward Flowerdew of Hethersett who was educated at Cambridge, became a lawyer and was a Member of Parliament. He amassed considerable estates in Norfolk and is reputed to have been a harsh landlord. He was also responsible for stripping lead from the roof of the dissolved abbey of Wynmondham, contrary to the wishes of the parishoners.
In 1549 at Hethersett, a mob led by Robert Kett (a farmer) tore down hedgerows belonging to John Flowerdew because they were restricting access to the common lands.
Flowerdew migration to Australia
John James Flowerdew and his brother Will were both mariners who visited Australia in the 1860s and decided to stay. Their direct ancestors had lived in the eastern side of Norfolk for two hundred years. There is very little doubt that they descended from the family that was established at Drayton in 1461 and Hethersett in the mid-1500s. The two Flowerdew brothers raised their families in the Sydney suburb of Balmain.
Flowerdew pedigree
Our Flowerdew ancestors include the following people. Click on any name to access a computer-generated page of information about that person and a list of the information sources.
- John James Flowerdew (b. 20 Sep 1846, d. 6 Aug 1910)
- Benjamin Flowerdew (d. aft 1870)
- William Flowerday (b. say 1786)
- James Flowerdew (d. 1836)
- William Flowerdew (d. aft 20 Jan 1798)
- William Flowerdew (b. 1688, d. 1753)
- John Flowerdew (b. bet 1660 and 1670)
- Sarah ? (b. bet 1660 and 1670)
- Elizabeth ? (b. bet 1680 and 1690)
- William Flowerdew (b. 1688, d. 1753)
- Sarah Hasleton (b. say 1718, d. 1797)
- John Hasleton (b. bet 1680 and 1690)
- Esther Brierton (b. bet 1680 and 1690)
- William Flowerdew (d. aft 20 Jan 1798)
- Elizabeth Tooly (b. bet 1755 and 1765, d. 1834)
- James Flowerdew (d. 1836)
- Elizabeth Woolston (b. bet 1780 and 1790, d. 1822)
- Benjamin Woolstone (b. bet 1750 and 1760)
- Mary ? (b. bet 1750 and 1765)
- William Flowerday (b. say 1786)
- Elizabeth Tubby (b. abt 1813, d. Aug 1848)
- Benjamin Flowerdew (d. aft 1870)
Notable Flowerdew ancestors
Click on the name of any of the notable ancestors listed below to read a short biography that I have written about them.
Flowerdew family memorials
For centuries families have created memorials to honour their forebears, including headstones, church monuments, memorial cards, obituaries and much more. This website is, in a way, just another innovation in this regard. Each of the links below takes you to a memorial page that is dedicated to that particular deceased ancestor.
- Ada Grace Flowerdew 1881-1952 – and her husband Charles Taylor Fleming 1878-1937
- John James Flowerdew 1846-1910 and Grace House 1845-1900
Flowerdew clan
The earliest known ancestor of our Flowerdew clan was Benjamin Flowerdew (c1815-1851). Here are his known descendants.
- Legend:
- Subject
- Daughter
- Son
- Spouse
- Legend:
- Subject
- Daughter
- Son
- Spouse