Worthington Family History Society
Worthington Family History Society
About Us
Aims and Objectives
- To foster and encourage research and the sharing of information in the genealogies of families bearing the surname Worthington throughout the world.
- To research and record biographical, geographical and social information relating to members of the Worthington family name covering the time period from the 15th Century to the present day.
- To publish the results of such research.
- To maintain archives of relevant material for the benefit of members.
Our History
In 2005 the Worthington 17th Century Project was formed at Wigan, Lancashire, England and the Worthington surname was registered with the Guild of One Name Studies, London. The aim of the 17th Century Project was to research and publish a book on Worthington families in the 17th Century worldwide.
The DNA Project commenced following the 2008 Annual General Meeting (AGM) in Dover, Kent, England.
During the fourth year members of the 17th Century Project decided to form a society with broader objectives and The Worthington Family History Society was formed by members at the 2009 Annual General Meeting held at Leesburg, Virginia, USA.
Recent & Current Research
The 17th Century Project became a much larger undertaking than originally envisaged. The first volume of a book titled Worthington Families of the Seventeenth Century, Volume 1 – Origins in Lancashire, was published in July 2020 and covers the families and descendants from the County of Lancashire, including family in Maryland, USA, known to have originated in Lancashire. Copies of this can be obtained through the Society as well as other earlier published material including Worthingtons from medieval time. See our Publications page
The second volume of the 17th Century Worthingtons, covering families in England and Wales and those who emigrated to Connecticut, USA, is being published initially on the Society’s website where members of the Society are able to access a valuable record of other Worthington pedigrees including families in Cheshire, Kent, Hampshire, Surrey, Northamptonshire, Nottinghamshire, Leicestershire, Staffordshire, Montgomeryshire and Connecticut USA. Several of these pedigrees are already available and the remaining ones will be released shortly, as they are completed.
New Projects & the Future
The work undertaken already on the 17th Century Worthingtons has identified a number of new areas of potential research including families living in London and Middlesex at the time and where information has come to light that may link existing pedigrees to other geographical areas. Further research could also be done to develop existing pedigrees from the 17th Century into the 18th and even the 19th Centuries. Worthington families living in other geographical areas, which haven’t been included to date, could also be investigated such as in Ireland from the 18th Century.
The Society has limited resources and relies almost exclusively on its members to undertake research. Members may have their own material relating to their ancestors from more recent times. The Society therefore encourages and indeed invites the membership to become engaged in the research on new projects, including sharing their knowledge of their own family history with the Society so that new pedigrees can be developed and published for the benefit of all. If members are able to assist in this interesting and valuable work please contact the Society’s Secretary, Hannah Horton, by email.