Show ContentsSchoolfield History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The Norman Conquest of England in 1066 brought much change to the island nation, including many immigrants with new names. Among these immigrants were the ancestors of the Schoolfield family, who lived in Lancashire. Their name, however, is a reference to Escoville, Normandy, the family's place of residence prior to the Norman Conquest of England in 1066. [1]

Early Origins of the Schoolfield family

The surname Schoolfield was first found in Lancashire at Schofield, in East Rochdale in the township of Butterworth. The first record of the family was John de Scholefeld who held lands here during the reign of Edward I. [2]

Schofield Hall in Hollingworth was in the hands of the same family for over 400 years and their association with the district dates back to John De Schofield in 1310 who held lands there at that time.

"Schofield, a name also established in Lancashire, under which county further reference will be found, is now numerously represented in the Huddersfield and Leeds districts." [3]

Early History of the Schoolfield family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Schoolfield research. Another 115 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1363, 1688, 1744, 1789, 1809, 1812, 1813, 1814, 1815, 1836, 1844, 1853 and 1867 are included under the topic Early Schoolfield History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Schoolfield 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 Schoolfield were recorded, including Scofield, Schofield, Scholefield and others.

Early Notables of the Schoolfield family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was James Scholefield (1789-1853), Regius professor of Greek at Cambridge, born on 15 Nov. 1789, at Henley-on-Thames, where his father was an independent minister. "He was educated at Christ's Hospital, where he won many distinctions. In October 1809 he was sent by the governors to Trinity College, Cambridge, and in...
Another 57 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Schoolfield Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Schoolfield family

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 Schoolfield arrived in North America very early: Abraham, Charles, Edmund, Edward, Henry, James, John, Joseph, Peter, Thomas, William, and Wright Schofield all arrived in Philadelphia between 1800 and 1870.


Contemporary Notables of the name Schoolfield (post 1700) +

  • Kent Schoolfield, American football wide receiver coach for the 1983 and 1984 Pittsburgh Panthers
  • Raulston Schoolfield, American Democratic Party politician, Candidate in primary for Governor of Tennessee, 1954 [4]
  • Douglas Schoolfield Cramer (1931-2021), American Emmy Award nominated television producer, known for producing series such as Star Trek, Wonder Woman, Mission: Impossible, The Brady Bunch, and Dynasty


Suggested Readings for the name Schoolfield +

  • Schoolfield Family Tree: Genealogy of the Schoolfield Family by Cleopatra Doss Schoolfield.

  1. The Norman People and Their Existing Descendants in the British Dominions and the United States Of America. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing, 1975. Print. (ISBN 0-8063-0636-X)
  2. Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
  3. Guppy, Henry Brougham, Homes of Family Names in Great Britain. 1890. Print.
  4. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, October 22) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html


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