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Thweatt
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the year 880, when a Danish army, under Guthrum (afterwards christened
by the name of Athelston), settled in our country, it was densely colonized
by the Danes. A careful comparison of a map of a colony with that of its
mother country seldom fails to discover, not only identities of affixes,
but, actual identities in the localities. Of the identities, we have Thwaite,
also Waite. Of the affixes  Crostweyt."
From "The Norfolk Antiquarian" Part I, by Waiter Rye. "If
you will look at a map of England you will be able to see the extent of
the Danish settlements, by noticing the termination of the place names:
for those are generally Danish which end in: "by", meaning homestead;
thorpe, a village; thwaite, a grassy slope. These Danish names seem to
radiate inland." In the index of "Norfolk Record Society"
Vol. III, p. 304, references to the place name of Thwaite were given as
Thweit, Thweyt, Tweyth, Tueyt, and Tweyt. In the "History of Norfolk"
Chapter II, p. 3, Waiter Rye says, "
 he
people of whose existence we have first tangible and undoubted proof in
our country are the Danes, who first unsuspected invasion was before that
of the Romans. These are chiefly in the N.E. half of the county, 256 Places
either identical, or in 
part, in name with villages still in Denmark, or provable to be Danish
by their prefixes or affixes." Rye lists three places by the name
of Thwaite that are in Denmark. This proves the Danish origin of
the surname Thweatt. The Normans, as their name implies, were the Norsemen.
They were a group of Scandinavians, probably in most part from Norway,
but certainly with many Danes and Swedes among them.
 riven
from their homes by pressure of population, by dislike of the stricter
royal rule which the early Scandinavian Kings were beginning to impose,
or, by sheer love of plunder and adventure, they became the terror of
all the European Coast.
he name
Thweat was first documented in 1654, the last in 1815. This shows that for at
least 161 years the name Thweat was constant in Lancashire County, England. We  have
localized the name Thweat in the county of Lancaster, and the first Thweat to
sail from England to Virginia was related to James Thweat, James Thweatt, and
John Thweat. From the similarity of the given names, the original Thweat on
these shores could be a grandson of Michaell Thweate who made the will of
Michaell Thweat dated Oct. 16, 1654. This is the first Thweat of record that I
have been able to find. The record of the death of Mr, Thweat of Thweat, Galley
& Munday, Mfgs. of muslin in London and Manchester, dated August 27, 1733,
also administration John Thweat 1815. These and other documents prove that the
name Thweat survived in England 161 years after Michaell's will. Also, the name
survived in England 145 years after the imigrant Thweatt landed in Virginia in
1670, or 1659. he
following is from the records of the late Hen. A. S. Thweatt, Chief Clerk, Dept.
Agriculture, Insurance, Statistics and History, State of Texas: James Thweatt,
Prince George Co., Va., the earliest known Thweatt in America, was born in 1643.
He had a son, James, who, in 1701, married Judith Soane in Henrico County,
Virginia. From this marriage the following children were born: John, Drury,
Edward, Miles, James, David, Elizabeth, Edith, Frankie and Henry. Henry married
Hannah, daughter of Edward Stanley of Henrico Co. Thos. G. Thweatt's first wife,
Susanna Barksdale, Prince Edwards Co.,
Va. His second wife, Jane Coleman. Henry
Thweatt: Sons, Thos. G. and Giles Thweatt. Giles married Sally Barksdale. Thos.
G. Thweatt: Sons, Elisha Barkdale Thweatt, Henry Coleman Thweatt. A
communication is on file in the Capitol at Richmond, Va., dated Feb. 28, 1790,
from Henry Thweatt, certifying that his colleague, Capt. Peter Thweatt,
inspector at Robt. Belling Warehouse, departed this life on Friday, Feb. 26,
1790. The last named son, Henry, is said to be the father of Capt. Thos. G.
Thweatt who served in the  Revolutionary
War. Thomas was born about 1752 and died in 1812. Thomas (Thwaite) Thweatt -- Va,
Captain 14th Va. 2nd Dec. 1776. Taken prisoner at Germantown, 4th Oct. 1777;
Paroled 27th March, 1778. Did not rejoin regiment." From "Historical
Register of Officers of the Continental Army. 1775-1783" by Heitman.  nother
interesting letter in the files of A. S. Thweatt is dated Mar. 20th, 1833,
Charlotte Ct. House. Addressed to Armstead Barksdale, Esq. (near) Meadsville,
Halifax County, Va. "Dear Sir: I presume you have received a letter from
your relative Mr. Elisha B. Thweatt of Prince Edward
County, in regard to a
claim of his father, for military services during the Revolutionary War. He was
employed to investigate the claim of the military services of Capt. Thomas
Thweatt." Courtesy of Mrs. Lucie Dozier Thweatt, Austin, Texas, widow
of the late A. S. Thweatt. The following was taken from Vol. I of the
Autobiography of Henry Coleman Thweatt, written at New Orleans, La., and dated
Jan. 2, 1853. "Henry Coleman Thweatt was born Apr. 12, 1807, Halifax
County, Va. Son of Capt. Thos. Thweatt, grandson of Henry Thweatt.
 apt.
Thos. Thweatt, native of Dinwiddie
County, wounded in the Battle of Brandywine
(grapeshot in the knee), was taken prisoner and placed on board British Man of
War. Later released in exchange of prisoners. Away from home seven years in
Philadelphia. Almost helpless, taken care of by a Quaker family. Believed to
have been dead by his people, his father divided the estate between the other
children. To the amazement of relatives, Thomas came home for Christmas. All
offered to share with him in the estate, but he refused, saying, you are
married. I am single. Loan me $1,000. I will make it.' In eight or ten years, in
the merchandise business in Halifax
County, fifteen miles southwest of
Peterborough, he made a small fortune. "Thos. Thweatt married Susanah
Barksdale of Prince Edward County at about the age of forty. One son born to
this union, Elisha Barksdale Thweatt. The first wife lived only a few years.
Thos. Thweatt married the second time, Ione Coleman, daughter of Capt.
Williamson Coleman and Mildred Coleman. (Mildred Williamson Thweatt was
distantly related to grandfather Henry Thweatt. She was born June 23, 1777, died
a few weeks after Henry C. Thweatt was born, being 29 years, 3 months, 3 days of
age.) "No record of Thos. Thweatt's death.
 icking
up another "T" in Virginia, about 1700, we have Thweatt today. The
remarkable thing is, and this gives me pride, not many family names in America
have remained as constant over 300 years at the name Thweatt.
 ancashire
County was the origin of the spelling of the name Thweat in the period between
the years 1626 and 1654. And, while we are on the origin of the spelling of the
name, note that in the next chapter the immigrant, James Thweat, added an 'e' in
a case or two. But, he soon  picked
up the added 't' to supplant the 'e.' So, our name became Thweatt between the
years 1650 and 1700. There were other wills in this same county under the name
Thwaite, as follows: "Thomas Thwaites of Upholland 1623. Thomas Thwaites of
Cartmell Church 1725. John of Ulverstone 1736 and Joseph of Lancaster in
1735."
 ames Thweat arrived in Virginia forty eight years previous
to 1707 or about 1659 .Born in England, grandson of Michaell Thweat in
1643. Age at time of arrival in Virginia was 16 . He had known the territory,
from around 1648. His age at time of affidavit was 64. James Thweatt's birth
year was 1643 .James Thweatt received a grant of 600 acres in 1670.
rom
"The Calendar of State Papers of America and West Indies," Printed in
1702, (an English book). Militia officers of Charles City County,
Virginia,
(these commissions were from the king). Among others, "James Thweatt
." Va., James Thweat, 223 acres and time, from English sources, the name was spelled Thweatt.
This accounts for Capt. James Thweatt of Virginia. From the
same volume, "James Thweat (Thweatt), James. Lists of patents, signed Apr.
1703. Henrico another
of 234 acres. "Sir Henry Kendrick Thwaites born Bristol 1811; an
accountant, also a Ph.D in Botany. Geo. Saunders Thwaites, born 1778. Sir John
Thwaites, son of Christopher Thwaites of Teddy Gill Hall, Westmoreland. Knights
at Windsor Castle, May 18, 1865. Daniel Thwaites of Billings Scarr, Blackburn,
Lancashire, England. "The manor the Woodford Park estates were sold
about 1878 to Mr. Robert Daniel Thwaites of Blackburn at whose death in 1888
they descended to his only daughter Elma Amy, now lady of the manor, who in 1888
married Mr. Robt. Armstrong Yerburgh, M.P. for Chester 1886-1906 and
1910." rom
"A History of the County Lancashire," Vol. VI, p. 261. Conveyance of
manor in 1802 by Solomon Thwaite, wife Mary, Benjamin Thwaite and wife Mary,
John Thwait and wife Hannah and Isaac Thwaite and wife Mary." (Note
Biblical names). The name of the manor was "Stonegrove." "SAGA OF
THE SOANES". The family was Soane, and references as to names and
land grants are from "Cavaliers and Pioneers" by Nell Marian Nugent.
"William Soane, who came in the Georg (ship) in 1621 on transportation paid
by John Southerne. (Whether this Soane was any relation to the family that came
30 years later is unknown. Top of Page |