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LEDBETTER Family History

This interesting surname is of Anglo-Saxon origin, and is an occupational surname for a worker in lead. The derivation is from the Olde English pre 7th Century "lead", lead, with "beatan", to beat, strike. Job-descriptive surnames originally denoted the actual occupation of the namebearer, and later became hereditary. The surname is first recorded in the early half of the 13th Century (see below) and can also be found as Leadbeat(t)er, Leadbitter, Ledbetter and Lidbetter. Walter Ledbeter is noted as witness in the Assize Court Rolls of Northumberland (1256).