Thisdale Surname History

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

The roots of the Anglo-Saxon name Thisdale come from when the family resided in the area known as Teesdale found in the counties of Durham and the North Riding of Yorkshire. Thisdale is a topographic surname, which was given to a person who resided near a physical feature such as a hill, stream, church, or type of tree. During the Middle Ages, as society became more complex, individuals needed a way to be distinguishable from others. Toponymic surnames were developed as a result of this need. Various features in the landscape were used to distinguish people from one another. In this case the original bearers of the surname Thisdale were named due to their close proximity to the river Tees, which flowed between Yorkshire and Durham.

Early Origins of the Thisdale family

The surname Thisdale was first found in Durham where Walter de Tesedale was listed 1235-1236. A few years later, Mariota de Tesdale was found in the Subsidy Rolls for Cumberland (Cumbria) in 1332 and later again, Thomas Tesdall was listed in the Subsidy Rolls for Sussex in 1525. 1

The Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 included William tie Tesedal, Yorkshire. Henry de Tesdale was Prior of Finchale in 1295. The source History and Antiquities of the County Palatine of Durham included Hugh de Tesedale, 1350 and later the Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379 included Johannes de Tesedale. 2

Early History of the Thisdale family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Thisdale research. Another 82 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1547, 1556, 1563, 1570, 1579, 1581, 1610, 1613, 1646, 1669, 1706, 1711 and 1735 are included under the topic Early Thisdale History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Thisdale 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. Thisdale has been recorded under many different variations, including Teasdale, Tisdale, Tisdell, Teesdale, Tisdall and others.

Early Notables of the Thisdale family

Notables of the family at this time include William Tisdale or Tisdall (born circa 1570), an English musician and composer. Thomas Tesdale, Teasdale or Tisdale (1547-1610), was an English 'co-founder of Pembroke College, Oxford,' born at Stanford Dingley, Berkshire, son of Thomas Tesdale (d. 1556), by his second wife, Joan (Knapp.) "He was brought up by his uncle, Richard Tesdale, a sadler of Abingdon, and was in 1563 the first...
Another 68 words (5 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Thisdale Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Thisdale family to Ireland

Some of the Thisdale family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 113 words (8 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Thisdale family

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 Thisdale or a variant listed above: Elizabeth Tisdell settled in Barbados in 1686; Charles Tisdall settled in Virginia in 1730; Margaret, James, and Jane Tisdale settled in Charles Town [Charleston], South Carolina in 1763.

Citations +

Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)