Glidewell History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

Glidewell is a name of ancient Anglo-Saxon origin and comes from a family once having lived in the region of Gledhill in the West Riding of Yorkshire. The name is a habitational name from the Old English gleoda which means "kite" and hyll which means "hill." 1

Early Origins of the Glidewell family

The surname Glidewell was first found in Yorkshire near Halifax where they held a family seat as Lords of the manor of Gledhill from very ancient times.

Barkisland in the West Riding of Yorkshire was home to another branch of the family but has since been lost. "Barkisland Hall, the ancient seat of the Gledhill family, is a stately mansion in the old English style of domestic architecture, and has long been the property of the Bolds of Bold Hall, Lancashire. The grammar school here, an ancient structure, was endowed in 1657 with £200 by Mrs. Sarah Gledhill" 2

Early History of the Glidewell family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Glidewell research. Another 127 words (9 lines of text) covering the years 1300, 1600, 1638, 1677, 1702, 1707, 1719, 1730 and 1735 are included under the topic Early Glidewell History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Glidewell Spelling Variations

The English language only became standardized in the last few centuries; therefore,spelling variations are common among early Anglo-Saxon names. As the form of the English language changed, even the spelling of literate people's names evolved. Glidewell has been recorded under many different variations, including Gledall, Gledhill, Gladhill, Gladhall, Glanville and others.

Early Notables of the Glidewell family

Distinguished members of the family include Samuel Gledhill (1677-1735), lieutenant-governor of Placentia, Newfoundland from 1719-c.1730. Born at Horbury, near Wakefieid, Yorkshire, he was the youngest of the 13 children of Robert Gledhill, a cloth-dresser and educated at Wakefield Grammar School. He joined the navy but was kidnapped in Spain to be sold as a slave in the West Indies. After gaining his freedom he made his way to Spain and was commissioned a...
Another 73 words (5 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Glidewell Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Glidewell Ranking

In the United States, the name Glidewell is the 7,680^th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 3

Glidewell migration to the United States +

For many English families, the political and religious disarray that shrouded England made the far away New World an attractive prospect. On cramped disease-ridden ships, thousands migrated to those British colonies that would eventually become Canada and the United States. Those hardy settlers that survived the journey often went on to make important contributions to the emerging nations in which they landed. Analysis of immigration records indicates that some of the first North American immigrants bore the name Glidewell or a variant listed above:

Glidewell Settlers in United States in the 20th Century

Ethel May Glidewell, aged 26, who immigrated to the United States from London, in 1913
Justine Glidewell, aged 11, who immigrated to Highlands, New Jersey, in 1922
Mabel Glidewell, aged 17, who settled in Highlands, New Jersey, in 1922
Pauline Glidewell, aged 15, who immigrated to Highlands, New Jersey, in 1922
Abbie Glidewell, aged 40, who immigrated to Highlands, New Jersey, in 1922

Contemporary Notables of the name Glidewell (post 1700) +

Alésia Toyoko Glidewell (b. 1978), American voice actress from Honolulu, Hawaii
Sir Iain Glidewell (1924-2016), British jurist, Lord Justice of Appeal and Judge of Appeal of the High Court of the Isle of Man

Citations +

Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/