Featherstonhaugh, also spelt Fetherstonhaugh and Featherstonehaugh, is an old English surname that was originally Fetherston. The name comes from Featherstone Castle in

Northumberland Northumberland ( ) is a ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in North East England, on the Anglo-Scottish border, border with Scotland. It is bordered by the North Sea to the east, Tyne and Wear and County Durham to the south, Cumb ...

, from the

Old English Old English ( or , or ), or Anglo-Saxon, is the earliest recorded form of the English language, spoken in England and southern and eastern Scotland in the Early Middle Ages. It developed from the languages brought to Great Britain by Anglo-S ...

, 'feather', , 'stone', and , 'corner'. The name is usually pronounced as spelt though commonly shortened to Fetherston. The popularly known pronunciation of () originated with Irish holders of the name. Other pronunciations include or .

Notable people

* Francis Fetherston ( – after 1624), an English statesman * George William Featherstonhaugh (1780–1866), an English-American geologist * George W. Featherstonhaugh Jr. (1814–1900), an American legislator and businessman *

Godfrey Fetherstonhaugh Godfrey Fetherstonhaugh ( ; 11 April 1858 – September 1928) was an Irish Unionist Party politician. He was elected at the 1906 general election as Member of Parliament (MP) for North Fermanagh, and held the seat until he resigned from the Ho ...

(1859–1928), an Irish politician *

F. B. Fetherstonhaugh Frederick Barnard Fetherstonhaugh ( ; 1863 – 1945) was a Canadian patent attorney#Canada, patent lawyer and agent who founded the patent agency Smart & Biggar, Fetherstonhaugh & Co. He was widely recognized for his expertise in patent law. Feth ...

(1863–1945), a Canadian patent lawyer * Constance Featherstonhaugh (later Benson; 1864–1946), an English actress * Francis Featherstonhaugh Johnston (1891–1963), an Anglican bishop of Egypt * Harold Lea Fetherstonhaugh (1887–1971), a Canadian architect *

Buddy Featherstonhaugh Rupert Edward Lee "Buddy" Featherstonhaugh ( ; 4 October 1909 – 12 July 1976) was an English jazz saxophonist and clarinetist. Musical career Born in Paris in 1909, the son of an English marine architect and his Scottish wife. His grandfath ...

(1909–1976), an English jazz saxophonist * Mary Featherstonhaugh Frampton (1928–2014), an English civil servant * Robert Fetherstonhaugh (born 1932), an English cricketer * Alexander Featherstonhaugh Wylie (born 1951), a judge of the Supreme Courts of Scotland

Fetherstonhaugh baronets

*Sir Matthew Fetherstonhaugh (1714–1774), 1st Baronet **Sir

Henry Fetherstonhaugh Sir Henry Fetherstonhaugh, 2nd Baronet (22 December 1754 – 24 October 1846), known as Harry, was an English aristocrat. The son of Sir Matthew Fetherstonhaugh , he was educated at Eton College and University College, Oxford. He made the Gr ...

, known as Harry (1754–1846), 2nd Baronet

Artistic and fictional works

The Featherstonehaughs The Featherstonehaughs are a London-based, all-male contemporary dance company, described by Arts Council England as "one of the leading contemporary dance companies in Britain," presenting work that "is diverse, witty and instantly recognisable." ...

, a British dance company *"Cholmondeley Featherstonehaugh", an episode of the TV series ''

Nanny and the Professor ''Nanny and the Professor'' is an early 1970s American sitcom created by AJ Carothers and Thomas L. Miller for 20th Century-Fox Television that aired on ABC from January 21, 1970 until December 27, 1971. During pre-production, the proposed ...

''. * Stanley Featherstonehaugh Ukridge (the middle name pronounced "Fanshaw"), a fictional character in the short stories of

P. G. Wodehouse Sir Pelham Grenville Wodehouse ( ; 15 October 1881 – 14 February 1975) was an English writer and one of the most widely read humorists of the 20th century. His creations include the feather-brained Bertie Wooster and his sagacious valet, Je ...

. *Marcus Featherstone's terrier "Foon" ("written 'Featherstonehaugh'") in the detective novel ''Police at the Funeral'' by Margery Allingham (1931). *Harry Featherstonhaugh in the Lady Hardcastle Mystery Books by T.E. Kinsey. *Piers Featherstonehaugh is the protagonist in the game The Gene Machine. *In

E. M. Forster Edward Morgan Forster (1 January 1879 – 7 June 1970) was an English author. He is best known for his novels, particularly '' A Room with a View'' (1908), ''Howards End'' (1910) and '' A Passage to India'' (1924). He also wrote numerous shor ...

's '' Maurice'', Clive Durham refers to a Featherstonhaugh who has a pianola. In the film, he pronounces it "Feestonhay".

References

{{surname English toponymic surnames

Notable people

Fetherstonhaugh baronets

Artistic and fictional works

See also

References