Melvil Surname HistoryThe land of moorland bogs and fields of heather is the ancient homeland to the distinguished surname Melvil. In Scotland, hereditary surnames were adopted according to fairly general rules and during the late Middle Ages, names that were derived from specific localities became increasingly widespread. Local names originally denoted the proprietorship of the village or estate. The Melvil family originally lived in the village of Melville, in the county of Midlothian (now part of the region of Lothian). Early Origins of the Melvil familyThe surname Melvil was first found in Midlothian. The Melville family resided in this county as early as the mid-12th century, when King Malcolm IV of Scotland granted them the lands of Melville in 1160. They are said to have arrived in Scotland from Malleville in Pays de Caux, Normandy, where they held the distinguished title of the Lords of Graville. Another source is more specific: "The great Northern House of Melville claims this Norman as the patriarch of their race. Galfrid de Maleville, the earliest of the family who appears in Scottish history, had the honour of being the first Justiciary (Judiciary) of Scotland on record. From him derived the Earls of Melville. " 1 The parish of Lasswade in the county of Edinburgh was and ancient home of the family. "The principal seat is Melville Castle, the residence of Lord Viscount Melville, an elegant and spacious structure in the castellated style, with circular towers, erected about the close of the last century, on the site of an ancient house said to have belonged to David Rizzio, secretary to Mary, Queen of Scots." 2 Early History of the Melvil familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Melvil research. Another 176 words (13 lines of text) covering the years 1296, 1535, 1545, 1547, 1597, 1617, 1621, 1622, 1636, 1683, 1695, 1707, 1741, 1742, 1753, 1754, 1890 and 1924 are included under the topic Early Melvil History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Melvil Spelling VariationsSpelling variations of this family name include: Melville, Melwell, Melwill, Malwyn, Melwyn, Melvile and many more. Early Notables of the Melvil familyNotable among the family at this time was
Migration of the Melvil family to IrelandSome of the Melvil family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
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