Fallows History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Italy

Fallows is a name that was carried to England in the great wave of migration from Normandy following the Norman Conquest of 1066. The Fallows family lived in Midlothian. The name comes from the Old English word fall, which, strangely, could indicate someone who lived near either a waterfall or a meadow. Another derivation suggests that the name is a local reference to the area of Falaise, Normandy. Time has confused the two derivations, and it is now extremely difficult to tell which is appropriate in a given case. [1]

Early Origins of the Fallows family

The surname Fallows was first found in Midlothian where they held a family seat from very early times and were granted lands by Duke William of Normandy, their liege Lord, for their distinguished assistance at the Battle of Hastings in 1066 A.D.

The Falle variant is now native to Jersey in the Channel Islands, but was originally from Lancashire where Gilbert de la Falle was recorded in the Assize Rolls of 1263. William de Fall was listed in the Hundredorum Rolls of 1255 in Oxfordshire and Geoffrey del Falles was found in the Subsidy Rolls of Yorkshire in 1297. [1]

The Fallas or Fallis variant dates back to the Domesday Book of 1086 where it was first recorded by William de Faleise, de Falisia in Wiltshire. [2]

Early History of the Fallows family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Fallows research. Another 79 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1165, 1421, 1453, 1567, 1656, 1694, 1736 and 1742 are included under the topic Early Fallows History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Fallows Spelling Variations

Before English spelling was standardized a few hundred years ago, spelling variations of names were a common occurrence. Elements of Latin, Norman French and other languages became incorporated into English throughout the Middle Ages, and name spellings changed even among the literate. The variations of the surname Fallows include Falla, Fala, Falle, Falls, Fallows, Fallis and many more.

Early Notables of the Fallows family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was George Fala Scottish Ambassador. Philip Falle (1656-1742) was a clergyman and historian of Jersey. He was born in the parish of St. Saviour in Jersey and was sent to England at a very early...
Another 42 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Fallows Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Fallows migration to the United States +

In England at this time, the uncertainty of the political and religious environment of the time caused many families to board ships for distant British colonies in the hopes of finding land and opportunity, and escaping persecution. The voyages were expensive, crowded, and difficult, though, and many arrived in North America sick, starved, and destitute. Those who did make it, however, were greeted with greater opportunities and freedoms that they could have experienced at home. Many of those families went on to make important contributions to the young nations in which they settled. Early immigration records have shown some of the first Fallowss to arrive on North American shores:

Fallows Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

William Fallows, who settled in Philadelphia in 1847
Benjamin Fallows, who landed in Allegany (Allegheny) County, Pennsylvania in 1869 [3]

Fallows migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Fallows Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Mr. John Fallows who was convicted in Chester, Cheshire, England for life, transported aboard the "Bengal Merchant" on 4th August 1836, arriving in New South Wales, Australia [4]
Mr. Richard Fallows, English convict who was convicted in Leicester, Leicestershire, England for 14 years, transported aboard the "Earl Grey" on 27th July 1838, arriving in New South Wales, Australia [5]

Fallows migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Fallows Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Richard Fallows, aged 34, a joiner, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Hurunui" in 1877
Mary Fallows, aged 27, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Hurunui" in 1877

Contemporary Notables of the name Fallows (post 1700) +

Samuel Fallows (1835-1922), American clergyman, Superintendent of Public Instruction of Wisconsin, and a Union Army colonel during the American Civil War
James Fallows (1949-1983), American print and radio journalist, national correspondent for The Atlantic Monthly, recipient of the 1983 National Book Award for Nonfiction
Fearon Fallows (1789-1831), English astronomer, astronomer to King George IV
William Gordon Fallows KCVO (1913-1979), English clergyman, Church of England Bishop of Pontefract
John Fallows, English footballer in the late 1800s

Citations +

Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 7th October 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/bengal-merchant
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 17th August 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/earl-grey