The importance of being... TORDOFF
There can be few surnames more characteristics of Bradford than Tordoff. Despite the upheavals of the Industrial Revolution, it is seldom found far away from its traditional home in Wibsey.
This concentration of the name in one particular area is typical of this part of West Yorkshire and usually points to the successful expansion of a single family. In other words, the probability is that all Tordoffs share a common ancestor.
The family’s history in the last 200 years is well-documented. The 19th century trade directories and census returns provide evidence of Tordoffs involved in farming and associated occupations such as horse-dealing and butchering, both in Wibsey itself and at nearby Shelf and Buttershaw.
These were not the only activities in which the family engaged. In the 1830s, for example, John Tordoff was a tea-dealer in Kirkgate, William a dyer in Bolton Road, and Samuel a joiner at Low Moor. In the same period one William Tordoff had the "Black Dog" at Wibsey while another William was licensee of the "Hare and Hounds" in Great Horton.
Rather earlier, in the 1760s, other Tordoffs ran the pottery at Wibsey and generations of the family were linen-drapers there.
The curious thing is that the history of the Tordoffs before this time is obscure. There are many theories about when they arrived in Wibsey and more particularly where they came from.
It has been stated with conviction that their original home was Scandinavia - even Russia. Professor Smith, writing about Wibsey field-names suggested an old English personal name as the source. Parker, in his history of the Wibsey area seemed convinced that they originated in Scotland and found their way to Wibsey as stragglers from Prince Charles’ invading army of 1745.
The Scottish connection is particularly fascinating, for there are said to be hamlets called Torduff on the Solway Firth and Tordoffs established as farmers in Dumfries.
However theories about both origin and meaning can only be built up on genealogical evidence and local documents prove conclusively that the family lived in Wibsey for nearly 200 years prior to the 1745 rebellion.
The earliest reference is to a Robert Tordoffe who bought three closes of land there in 1572.
There were, so far as I can establish, no Tordoffs in the West Riding before this date, although others are referred to in Leeds from 1587 to 1664, but the surname certainly existed earlier than this in York.
In a subsidy roll, or tax list, for 1524 a Cuthbert Tordoff paid 4 pence and in 1499 William Tordofft or Turdoffe was enrolled as a pewterer in the list of York freeman.
Unfortunately we still do not know where William came from and it may well be that his family origins were indeed outside this country.
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