Contents [hide]

Mansell History Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables Ranking

Ireland United States Canada Australia New Zealand

Contemporary Notables Historic Events Related Stories Motto Citations

Mansell History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Scotland
Ireland

The name Mansell arrived in England after the Norman Conquest of 1066. The Mansell family lived in Glamorgan. Their name, however, is a reference to the family's place of residence prior to the Norman Conquest of England in 1066, Le Mans, Normandy.

"This name is frequently found in the Norman Exchequer Rolls of the twelfth century, and certainly remained in Normandy for upwards of six hundred years." 1

Early Origins of the Mansell family

The surname Mansell was first found in Glamorgan where they held a family seat as Lords of the Manor of Oxwick. Sir Phillip de Maunsell (Mansel) accompanied William, Duke of Normandy at Hastings in the Conquest of England in 1066 A.D. He was succeeded by Henry Maunsell, who was father of Sir John Maunsell (c.1190-1265,) Chief Justice of England about 1130 A.D. He received "from Philip Harley (called in the pedigree his grandfather) the manor of Oxmuth or Ormuch in Glamorgan, which long remained the dwelling place of his family. From him descended the celebrated ecclesiastic John Mancel, who in the time of Henry III. ranked among the first men in the land. He was reputed to be the richest clerk in the world, and as a proof of 'the enormities of the principles of plurality and nonresidence which prevailed in those days,' it is computed that he held seven hundred livings (jobs) at one and the same time !" 1

But, there is another version of this family's origins: "the curious poetical history of this family, preserved in 'Collectanea Topographica et Genealogica,' claims one 'Saher' there written 'Sier, the syer of us all,' as their ancestor: he is stated to have been the son of Ralph Maunsel, who was living in Buckinghamshire in the 14th of Henry II. (1167). " 2

"A priory for Black canons was founded [at Bilsington, Kent], before the year 1253, by John Mansell, provost of Beverley, who dedicated it to the Blessed Virgin." 3

The Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 had several entries for the family using various early spellings: Thomas le Mansell in Buckinghamshire; Sampson le Maunse in Bedfordshire; Frater Maunsel in Norfolk; Maunsel (without surname) in Huntingdonshire; and Thomas Maunsel in Cambridgeshire. Over one hundred years later, the Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379 had two entries: Johannes Mauncell; and Alicia Maunsell. 4 The last entry is very significant in that entries for women were indeed rare at this time.

Early History of the Mansell family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Mansell research. Another 95 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1195, 1264, 1487, 1542, 1559, 1579, 1623, 1640, 1645, 1665, 1677 and 1699 are included under the topic Early Mansell History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Mansell Spelling Variations

A multitude of spelling variations characterize Norman surnames. Many variations occurred because Old and Middle English lacked any definite spelling rules. The introduction of Norman French to England also had a pronounced effect, as did the court languages of Latin and French. Therefore, one person was often referred to by several different spellings in a single lifetime. The various spellings include Maunsell, Maunsel, Mansel, Mancel, Mauncell, Mauncel, Mannsell, Mannsel and many more.

Early Notables of the Mansell family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was

Francis Mansell (1579-1665), Principal of Jesus College, Oxford

Mansell Ranking

In the United States, the name Mansell is the 8,632^nd most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 5

Migration of the Mansell family to Ireland

Some of the Mansell family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 43 words (3 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Mansell migration to the United States +

Many English families left England, to avoid the chaos of their homeland and migrated to the many British colonies abroad. Although the conditions on the ships were extremely cramped, and some travelers arrived diseased, starving, and destitute, once in the colonies, many of the families prospered and made valuable contributions to the cultures of what would become the United States and Canada. Research into the origins of individual families in North America has revealed records of the immigration of a number of people bearing the name Mansell or a variant listed above:

Mansell Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

John Mansell, who arrived in Maryland in 1637 6
Ann Mansell, who landed in Maryland in 1649 6
John Mansell, who settled in Virginia in 1650
John Mansell, who settled in Virginia in 1653
Margaret Mansell, who arrived in Maryland in 1659 6
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Mansell Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

William Mansell, who settled in Maryland in 1731

Mansell Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

E Mansell, who arrived in San Francisco, California in 1851 6
Henry Mansell, aged 22, who landed in New York in 1862 6
Sarah Mansell, aged 22, who arrived in New York in 1862 6

Mansell migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Mansell Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century

Thomas Mansell, who landed in Nova Scotia in 1811

Mansell migration to Australia +

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

Mansell Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Mr. Benjamin Mansell, English convict who was convicted in Shropshire, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Champion" on 24th May 1827, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 7
Mr. Thomas Mansell, English convict who was convicted in Worcestershire, England for life, transported aboard the "Florentia" on 11th August 1830, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 8
Mr. Richard Mansell, (b. 1802), aged 32, English convict who was convicted in Worcester, Worcestershire, England for 14 years for stealing, transported aboard the "Bengal Merchant" on 27th September 1834, arriving in New South Wales, Australia, he died in 1849 9
Mr. George Mansell, English convict who was convicted in London, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Aurora" on 18th June 1835, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 10
Mr. Charles Mansell, Cornish convict who was convicted in Cornwall, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Bardaster" on 7th September 1835, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 11
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Mansell 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:

Mansell Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

William Mansell, aged 24, a gardener, who arrived in Nelson, New Zealand aboard the ship "Clifford" in 1842
Matilda Mansell, aged 25, who arrived in Nelson, New Zealand aboard the ship "Clifford" in 1842
William Mansell, aged 21, a bricklayer, who arrived in Nelson, New Zealand aboard the ship "Sir Charles Forbes" in 1842
Eliza Mansell, aged 20, who arrived in Nelson, New Zealand aboard the ship "Sir Charles Forbes" in 1842
Miss Elizabeth Ann Mansell, (b. 1840), aged 19, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Mary Anne" arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 4th August 1859 12
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Mansell (post 1700) +

H. B. Mansell, American politician, Prohibition Candidate for U.S. Senator from Pennsylvania, 1940 13
David Mansell, American politician, Candidate for U.S. Representative from Connecticut 4th District, 1942 13
Danny Eugene Mansell, American Republican politician, Delegate to Republican National Convention from North Carolina, 2008 13
Jack Mansell (1927-2016), English professional footballer and manager
Most Rev. Henry J. Mansell (b. 1937), Archbishop of Hartford, Connecticut and former 12th Bishop of Buffalo, New York
Sir Robert Mansell (1573-1656), Royal Navy admiral and British member of parliament
Richard Mansell (1813-1904), British railway engineer
Percy Mansell (1965-1995), South African cricketer
Lee Mansell (b. 1982), British footballer
Jessica Mansell (b. 1989), Australian netball player
... (Another 4 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Historic Events for the Mansell family +

HMS Dorsetshire

Joseph Fisher Mansell (d. 1945), British Lieutenant Commander Assistant Engineer Officer aboard the HMS Dorsetshire when she was struck by air bombers and sunk; he died in the sinking 14

The Mansell Motto +

The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.

Motto: Honorantes me honorabo
Motto Translation: I will honour those who honour me.

Citations +

Cleveland, Dutchess of The Battle Abbey Roll with some Account of the Norman Lineages. London: John Murray, Abermarle Street, 1889. Print. Volume 3 of 3
Shirley, Evelyn Philip, The Noble and Gentle Men of England; The Arms and Descents. Westminster: John Bower Nichols and Sons, 1866, Print.
Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
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 of Australia. Retreived 18th January 2021 from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/champion
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 11th October 2022). https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/florentia
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 7th October 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/bengal-merchant
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 20th August 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/aurora
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 16th September 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/bardaster
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 17th October 2018). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, October 26) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
Force Z Survivors HMS Dorsetshire Crew List, (Retrieved 2018, February 13th), https://www.forcez-survivors.org.uk/biographies/listdorsetshirecrew.html