The vast movement of people that followed the Norman Conquest of England of 1066 brought the Fissell family name to the British Isles. Fissell is a name for a calf-heard which was in turn derived from the Old French word veel, meaning calf.
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Early Origins of the Fissell family
The surname Fissell was first found in Gloucestershire where two knights by the name De Vile were honored in the Honour Roll of Battle Abbey in 1066 and were granted lands in that shire.
In later years, to the far south in Cornwall another branch of the family was found. "Trevayler, in [the parish of Gulval], is the property and residence of the Rev. William Veale, in whose family it has long been vested. This gentleman has considerable property in Gulval." 1
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Early History of the Fissell family
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Fissell research. Another 58 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Fissell History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Fissell Spelling Variations
Norman surnames are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. The frequent changes in surnames are largely due to the fact that the Old and Middle English languages lacked definite spelling rules. The introduction of Norman French to England, as well as the official court languages of Latin and French, also had pronounced influences on the spelling of surnames. Since medieval scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded, rather than adhering to any specific spelling rules, it was common to find the same individual referred to with different spellings. The name has been spelled Veale, Veal, Viall, Vile, Viell and others.
Early Notables of the Fissell family
More information is included under the topic Early Fissell Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Migration of the Fissell family to Ireland
Some of the Fissell family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt. More information about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Migration of the Fissell family
Many English families emigrated to North American colonies in order to escape the political chaos in Britain at this time. Unfortunately, many English families made the trip to the New World under extremely harsh conditions. Overcrowding on the ships caused the majority of the immigrants to arrive diseased, famished, and destitute from the long journey across the stormy Atlantic. Despite these hardships, many of the families prospered and went on to make invaluable contributions to the development of the cultures of the United States and Canada. Early North American immigration records have revealed a number of people bearing the name Fissell or a variant listed above: James and Ann Veal settled in Portland, Me, in 1820; with Margaret, John; Jane Veale settled in Virginia in 1636; Christopher Veale settled in Virginia in 1663..
Contemporary Notables of the name Fissell (post 1700)
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P. T. Fissell, American politician, Member of South Dakota State House of Representatives 12th District, 1893-94 2
England
Ireland
