Scudder History

The origins of the Scudder family are obscured by time. You will begin to find the family mentioned in 15th century property, parish and judicial records of the Darenth Valley in Kent County, England.

According to the Visitations of Kent, Taken in the Years 1574 and 1592 published by The Harleian Society, London, 1924, Scudder of Northcray had a crest described as Arms: Gules, on a fess or three pellets, in chief as many cinquefoils or. Crest: A fox stantant per fess or and gules. The motto is translated from the Latin as: Never Unprepared

Family members in this country probably will find they are descended from four Scudders who arrived from England in the early 17th century to the Massachusetts Bay colony. First was Margaret who, with her husband Captain John Johnson and their family, settled in Roxbury. Then followed John and his sister Elizabeth, married later to Samuel Lathrop, who settled in Barnstable. Finally, Thomas, his wife Elizabeth, and their children who settled in Salem.

In 1912, descendants of John and Thomas Scudder organized one of the earliest family associations in America, the Scudder Association of America. Its purpose was to provide social and genealogical support for family members. In 1938, it merged with the Scudder Memorial Association that was formed in 1911 to provide aid for hospitals established by Scudders in India. Today, the Scudder Association continues to provide that support through the Scudder Memorial Hospital Fund, and by scholarships to applicants planning careers in medicine, social services, or education. And, the Association still provides genealogical information and research to its members and the general public.

"Scudder" or "skudder" is an old English term denoting a person employed in the tanning trade in the treatment of hides. The name could also be nautical in nature as "scud" is a nautical term. The word "schutter" means archer or bowman in Dutch or Flemish. It could also mean a shooter, which could be why the family arms include cannon balls.

Family members of today in the Darenth Valley, Kent, are of the opinion that the name is of Dutch or Flemish origin. And, since many of the inhabitants of that part of England came from that part of the continent, there could be some credibility to that theory.