
Our
earliest known Hoggard ancestors were from Treswell, Nottingham, England.
The family has since scattered around the world and have produced a large posterity.
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Our earliest known Hoggard ancestor was John
Hoggard born in abt. 1535 in Treswell, Nottingham, England. His wife's
name is unknown. They had one son, and three daughters.
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One meaning of the name is that pigs are
called hogs and that our earlier ancestors raised hogs as their 'cash'
crop. Tthe early Hoggard's were farmers and raised animals to
make their living.
- More about the Hoggard name: In old English,
the word "hog" referred to a young sheep or lamb, not to a pig or swine.
The Scandinavian suffix "gard" is a shortened version of the common suffix
"gaard." When written in English the double "A" was usually shortened to
a single "A". That is also frequently done in the native language
with a dot placed over the "A" to distinguish it from the pronunciation
of a single "A". The suffix "gard" refers to a green field or pasture.
When the suffix "gard" was placed with the prefix "hog" the two describe
an individual whose vocation was tending sheep in the field. Some
people who did this acquired the name "Shepherd."
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The reason some family members changed the
spelling was to avoid the incorrect pronunciation of the name. Some
people pronounced the first syllable "HOG" instead of "HOE." It is
interesting that the English family members I have met pronounce the original
name very close to the "Huggard" pronunciation and spelling that
many of the descendants in Utah and the western United States now use.
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The ancestors of our branch of the family
moved to Edwinstowe, Nottingham, England where they were butchers and blacksmiths.
Some of their work is still visible today at Rufford
Abbey which is located near Edwinstowe.
They made the large iron gates and much of the fancy iron fence at that
famous landmark. These skills were transferred to their U.S. descendants
who used them to supplement their income and in practical application as
farmers.
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The first American Ancestor of our branch of the
family came to America
in the mid-1800's and eventually settled in Utah where he and his wife
have a large decadency.
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We look forward to any other family contacts
around the world.
www.famhist.com
