Parcel Surname History

Origins Available:
England

Parcel is a name that was carried to England in the great wave of migration from Normandy following the Norman Conquest of 1066. The Parcel family lived in Staffordshire, at Pearsall, from whence they took their name. "The family are of Norman origin, having been founded, at the place referred to, by Robert, a follower of Robert of Stafford, early in the reign of the Conqueror. He was son of Gilbert, son of Richard, Count of Corbeil in Normandy." 1

Early Origins of the Parcel family

The surname Parcel was first found in Staffordshire where they held an estate now known as Pearshall, Peshale or Pershall. 2

Robert Fitz Gilbert de Corbeil, acquired the manor of Peshale, and his son Robert was the first to begin calling himself de Peshale after the name of this manor. 3

Another early record was found in the "Testa de Nevill, sive Liber Feodorum, temp. Henry III-Edward I." which listed Thomas de Peshale, Staffordshire. 4

Early History of the Parcel family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Parcel research. Another 123 words (9 lines of text) covering the years 1341, 1374, 1376, 1531, 1539, 1629, 1633, 1634, 1653, 1670, 1676, 1696, 1702, 1795 and 1856 are included under the topic Early Parcel History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Parcel Spelling Variations

Before the last few hundred years the English language had no fixed system of spelling rules. For that reason, spelling variations occurred commonly in Anglo Norman surnames. Over the years, many variations of the name Parcel were recorded, including Pearsall, Pershall, Persall, Parsil, Parcell, Parcel and many more.

Early Notables of the Parcel family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was John Persall (1633-1702), alias Harcourt, English Jesuit, born in Staffordshire in 1633, from of an ancient Catholic family there, vice-provincial of England in 1696. He entered the...
Another 35 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Parcel Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Parcel migration to the United States +

The unstable environment in England at this time caused numerous families to board ships and leave in search of opportunity and freedom from persecution abroad in places like Ireland, Australia, and particularly the New World. The voyage was extremely difficult, however, and only taken at great expense. The cramped conditions and unsanitary nature of the vessels caused many to arrive diseased and starving, not to mention destitute from the enormous cost. Still opportunity in the emerging nations of Canada and the United States was far greater than at home and many went on to make important contributions to the cultures of their adopted countries. An examination of many early immigration records reveals that people bearing the name Parcel arrived in North America very early:

Parcel Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Thomas Parcel, who arrived in Virginia in 1701 5

Parcel Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Catherine Parcel who arrived in 1851 in New York upon the ship "Garrik"

Contemporary Notables of the name Parcel (post 1700) +

John I Parcel, American engineering professor who co-founded Sverdrup & Parcel, an American civil engineering company formed in 1928, known for their bridge projects including Amelia Earhart Bridge 1939, Atchison, Kansas and Sidney Lanier Bridge 1956, Brunswick, Georgia

Citations +

Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
Harrison, Henry, Surnames of the United Kingdom: A Concise Etymological Dictionary Baltimore: Geneological Publishing Company, 2013. Print
Cleveland, Dutchess of The Battle Abbey Roll with some Account of the Norman Lineages. London: John Murray, Abermarle Street, 1889. Print. Volume 2 of 3
Testa de Nevill or "Liber Feodorum" or "Book of Fees," thought to have been written by Ralph de Nevill, for King John (1199–1216)
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)