Edwardson Family Tree Research
Interested in tracing your Edwardson family tree?
Already started your research? Or just beginning?
Let’s collaborate!
By sharing findings, we can uncover common links and push the boundaries of Edwardson family history together.
Get in touch—we’d love to hear from you!
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Tracing your family tree can be a deeply rewarding—but sometimes frustrating—journey. With a rare surname like Edwardson, we have a unique advantage: fewer search results make it easier to spot relevant records. However, challenges remain. Search engines often mistake Edwardson for Edwards or even phrases like Edward’s son, making it tricky to sift through results. But perseverance pays off! Every discovery adds another piece to the puzzle of your personal heritage!
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Example:
My own Edwardson lineage almost certainly originates from the Lancashire/Cheshire Edwardson cluster, where the name has historically been strongest. From the 1500s onward, Edwardsons appear heavily concentrated around Widnes, near the Lancashire/Cheshire border.
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I’ve traced my paternal line back to my 8× Great-Grandfather, William Edwardson (1687 –1764), who was almost certainly baptised at Farnworth, north of Widnes. To provide a clearer picture, here’s my direct paternal line, descending from William down to my Great-Grandfather, John Hooley Edwardson:
William’s son, my 7× Great-Grandfather Charles Edwardson, was born in Aston-by-Sutton, then a small village just south of Runcorn. In the 1740s, he made the 30-mile journey south to the village of Malpas, South-West Cheshire. Four successive generations of my ancestors would be born there beneath the great tower of St Oswald's Church.
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Life in Malpas had its hardships. In 1755, Charles suffered the loss of two young children, Ellen and Charles Jr. However, available records suggest that the family built steady lives in the village. One notable figure was William Edwardson (1780–1859), who became the landlord of a local pub, the Wyffin Inn. His gravestone still stands in the cemetery of St Oswald’s.
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But life in rural Cheshire was about to change dramatically. With the Industrial Revolution, childhood mortality began to decline, but society’s existing structures were upended. In the 1860s, my branch of the Edwardson family was on the move again, likely in search of work as industries transformed the country. By the turn of the 20th century, we had settled in the Chester/Wrexham area. While many families sought new lives overseas, ours stayed much closer to home!
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That brings us up to the 2oth Century. But back at the other end, I want to push my family tree as far into the past as it will go.​​ As it stands, I'm at the level of my 8 x Great-Grandfather, who was almost certainly:
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​​William Edwardson
Baptised: 16 May 1687
St Wilfred's Church, Widnes Farnworth
​Father: Richard Edwardson
*Bould - likely refers to modern Bold Heath, North-East of Widnes
In due course, it's my aim to find out more information about Richard and push back further into the 1600s. I might even find an interesting story from the Civil War period? I can hope, but there's only way to find out - to keep digging!​
How can you get involved?
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1) Can you make a Connection? If you are an Edwardson, do you have family heritage in Malpas? If so, you are almost certainly connected to the tree above. Can you trace your family tree to any of the men shown above? Please get in touch!
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2) How far back can we go? I have been unable to get any further back than William Edwardson (1687 - 1764) with any confidence. I haven’t cracked it yet, but I fully intend to keep researching until I do! Maybe you can help with this??
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3) It's not limited to English Edwardsons! If you are looking into Edwardsons of Scottish or Scandinavian heritage, this is your hub too. By getting in touch, you could be linked up with people researching the same area.
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