In the Dark Ages, after Rome had faded away, men of the Church preserved the written word. Documents such as the Anglo-Saxon Chronicles and the Doomsday Book were preserved within the sturdy walls of the monasteries. These records have survived to this day allowing us the opportunity to study the history of the Anglo-Saxon surname, Medders.

Professional researchers have surveyed these records and found the first record of the Medders surname in Oxfordshire where they were anciently seated as Lords of the Manor. The Saxon influence of English history diminished after the Battle of Hastings in 1066. The language of the courts was French for the next three centuries and the Norman ambience prevailed. But Saxon surnames survived and the family name was referenced in the year 1180 when Alexander Meader held estates in that shire. 

During research it is noted that the Medders surname was spelled in different ways including Meador, Meader, Meadur, Medur, Medor, Meder, Medders, Meddor and theses variations would occur even in references to the same person. In the 16^th century the famous playwright William Shakespeare signed his own name with different spellings, such as “Shakespere” “Shakespear” Shakspere” and “Shaxpere.” In order to explain this phenomenon we must look back to some of the earliest documents written in English. In the 14^th century Geofrey Chaucer, author of the Canterbury tales, would spell “told” as “ytold” and “tolded” because at this time spelling rules did not truly exist.

The history of the Anglo-Saxons provided a valuable background for the history of the Medders family. The Saxons were a Teutonic tribe of people originally from Germany. They began to settle in southeastern England in about the year 400 A.D. the Angle and Saxon cultures blended together as they came to dominate the century.

            In 944 the Danes invaded England and the Anglo-Saxon rulers never truly recovered their lost power. In 1066 Duke William of Normandy disputed the royal succession in England and brought an army to enforce his claim. The success of the Normans at the Battle of Hastings brought the final end to Anglo-Saxon rule. However, despite this change of leadership, the culture of the common man in England was an Anglo-Saxon culture.

            During this period the Medders family was found in Oxfordshire where they were anciently seated. Later, in Surrey [1]Thomas Meader was recorded in 1132 succeeding to the Oxfordshire branch. There were several others in Surrey of the same name in the same year. From their early beginnings, for the next few centuries, bearers of the family name acquired estates and manors as they established themselves throughout England. Major conflicts, such as the War of the Roses (1455-1487), and the Cromwellian Civil Wars (17^th century), sometimes found family members to be in opposing camps, with conflicting interests. Distinguished members of the family include the Meader family of Oxfordshire.

            Throughout the Middle Ages there were constant political shifts. It was rare for a monarch to be succeeded by another who shared his views; so with every successive ling, the power structure would change. Later the succession of the Stuarts witnessed the beginning of political problems, which affected almost everyone. Conflicts between the king and parliament, and between the king and parliament. And between the Catholics and the Protestants, along with plague and the great fire in London, made the 17^th century a turbulent time.

            In Ireland Oliver Cromwell’s soldiers and Protestant settlers were granted lands belonging to Irish Catholic owners. While some of the confiscated lands were returned, during the reign of King Charles II most remained in the hands of the newcomers. English families also came to Ireland in search of work created by industries there. The name Medders may well have arrived in Ireland with the “Cromwellian Adventures for land,” in the 17^th century. At that time, 1,000 acres of land was available to settlers in Ulster for £200, in Connaught for £300, and in Leinster for £600.

            Chaos at home led many families to risk the hazardous journey across the oceans to the New World. Yet the Americans were no paradise for the earliest English settlers. [2]Early attempts to establish a colony at Roanoke Island, North Carolina met with disaster. In 1591 supply ships found the colony deserted with the fate of the settlers remaining forever a mystery.

            Migrants bearing the Medders surname, or variant spelling of this name, include the name represented in many forms and recorded from the mid 17^th century in the great migration form Europe. Migrants settled in the eastern seaboard from Newfoundland, to Maine, to Virginia, the Carolinas, and to the islands.

            The Canadian wilderness attracted some of the migrants. The first European colonists to come to Canada were of French origin, arriving in the 17^th century. Almost 70% of the immigrants landing in the United States arrived through the port of New York. From there they followed opportunities into the North American heartland.

            Individuals of note bearing the Medders surname in recent times include a motto. Under most heraldic authorities a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and may families have chosen not to display a motto.