A well-documented American history

Levering Family: History and Genealogy, published in 1897 by John Levering and the Levering Historical Association, assembles a substantial family history. Its account notably follows John Wigard Levering, born in 1648 or 1649, married in 1674 and emigrated to Germantown, Pennsylvania, in 1685.

The history of this family from the late 17th century has its own documentation and complements the study of occurrences of the Leverington surname in the United States.

The medieval ancestry: a lead for further research

Early family genealogies trace the Levering family to a supposed John de Levering, said to have been born around 1250 at Leverington. This claim was repeated in later works.

Wider research confirms that people bearing forms such as ‘de Leverington’ genuinely existed in the 14th century. Richard de Leverington is documented in 1333, and other forms appear in medieval sources. These milestones invite a search for intermediate documents that might clarify the proposed chain to the Levering family.

Two names, with possible connections to document

Medieval spellings vary frequently, and two similar names may also have distinct histories. A family tradition historically associates Levering with the Leverington area; the sources may clarify the nature of this connection.

Turning tradition into an established lineage would require every generational link to be documented through corroborating records and the geographical and chronological gaps to be resolved.

The case of Leverington Cemetery

In Roxborough, Philadelphia, Leverington Cemetery is an enduring historical landmark bearing a name derived from the Levering family. The institution’s website states that the land originally formed part of Wigard Levering’s farm in the 1690s.

The burial ground was later known as Roxborough Burial Ground, before being incorporated in 1857 as the Leverington Cemetery Company. This documented local history forms an important chapter in the Levering story in Pennsylvania.

A rule for presenting the evidence

The wording most faithful to the current evidence distinguishes two levels: the modern history of the Levering family, which is extensively documented, and its medieval English ancestry, which remains a genealogical tradition to be demonstrated.

This approach strengthens the story: it highlights the available documentation and makes the research programme still to be pursued visible.

Heraldry: a separate question

Under English heraldic law, a grant concerns a particular person or lineage. The College of Arms and proofs of descent make it possible to identify precisely the people entitled to bear the arms.