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Turville History Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables

United States Canada Australia New Zealand

Contemporary Notables Related Stories Motto Citations

Turville History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
France

The name Turville was brought to England in the wave of migration that followed the Norman Conquest of 1066. The Turville family lived in Leicestershire. Their name, however, is a reference to Turville-la-Champagne, Normandy and from Turville (one of nine Seigneuries that bear the name in Normandy) near Pont-Audemer. The name is "derived from Torf de Torfville, from whom descended Geoffrey de Turville 1124, who had grants from the Earl of Leicester and Mellent in England." 1

"Raoul de Tourneville is on the Dives Roll; and Roger de Turville held Weston-Turville, Bucks, of Bishop Odo 2. Another manor in the county is called from him Turville. In Leicestershire they are 'one of the ancientest families in the shire'; seated at Normanton-Turville from the time of Henry II., and still flourishing in a junior branch at Husbands Bosworth in the same county." 3

However, some believe the name is Anglo Saxon in origin, and meant 'dry field'. In the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle the name was recorded in 796 as Thyrefeld. Regardless of the origin, Ralph Turvill, a benefactor of the abbey of Leicester was the first record of the name in 1297.

Early Origins of the Turville family

The surname Turville was first found in Leicestershire where they held a family seat as Lords of the Manor of Herdebere, Pailington, Bedworth, Chelmscote, Fulbrooke, and Nuneaton. Normanton Turvile was their main seat. William de Turvile, a companion in arms of Duke William at the Battle of Hastings in 1066, was the first settler. William was descended from the Turville-la-Champagne, seated at Eure, at Amfreville-la-Champagne.

Another source has a slightly more romantic understanding of their origin: "from which of the ten Seigniories of Tourville in the Duchy of Normandy the English Turviles came, cannot now he ascertained. Certain it is that William de Tourville accompanied Duke William to Hastings, and that soon after the Conquest, the Tourvilles became extensive proprietors in the counties of Warwick and Leicester, giving in the latter their name to the manor of Normanton Turvile." 4

In Buckinghamshire, the manor of Turville once belonged to the abbey at St Albans, but was seized by the Crown in the Dissolution of the Monasteries in 1547. The manor house has since been rebuilt as Turville Park, a fine stately home in the village of Turville. Geoffrey de Turville or de Tourville (died 1250) was an English-born judge and cleric in thirteenth-century Ireland, who held office as Bishop of Ossory and Lord Chancellor of Ireland. A native of Turville in Buckinghamshire, he claimed descendancy through Geoffrey de Turville (c.1122-1177), Lord of the Manor of Weston Turville.

Early History of the Turville family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Turville research. Another 196 words (14 lines of text) covering the years 1122, 1177, 1235, 1250, 1277, 1288, 1289, 1291, 1293, 1296, 1297, 1315 and 1400 are included under the topic Early Turville History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Turville Spelling Variations

Norman surnames are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. The frequent changes in surnames are largely due to the fact that the Old and Middle English languages lacked definite spelling rules. The introduction of Norman French to England, as well as the official court languages of Latin and French, also had pronounced influences on the spelling of surnames. Since medieval scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded, rather than adhering to any specific spelling rules, it was common to find the same individual referred to with different spellings. The name has been spelled Turvile, Turville, Tourville, Tourvile, Turvell, Turvill, Turvil and many more.

Early Notables of the Turville family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was

William de Turvile, of Weston Turville, Buckinghamshire, High Sheriff of Bedfordshire and Buckinghamshire in 1288 and later in 1291. Later Nicolas de Trimenel or de Turvile was High Sheriff in 1293. R...
Geoffrey de Turville (died 1250) was an English-born cleric who is believed to have come from Turville, Buckinghamshire; he was Bishop of Ossory and Lord Chancellor of Ireland. He was probably a nativ...

Turville migration to the United States +

Many English families emigrated to North American colonies in order to escape the political chaos in Britain at this time. Unfortunately, many English families made the trip to the New World under extremely harsh conditions. Overcrowding on the ships caused the majority of the immigrants to arrive diseased, famished, and destitute from the long journey across the stormy Atlantic. Despite these hardships, many of the families prospered and went on to make invaluable contributions to the development of the cultures of the United States and Canada. Early North American immigration records have revealed a number of people bearing the name Turville or a variant listed above:

Turville Settlers in United States in the 20th Century

Oscar Turville, who landed in America, in 1900
Wilfred Turville, aged 18, who immigrated to America from Barbados, in 1905
Henry Stewart Turville, aged 30, who landed in America from Barbados, in 1905
George A. Turville, who landed in America, in 1910
Mildred Turville, aged 24, who settled in America, in 1911
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Turville migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Turville Settlers in Canada in the 20th Century

Frank Turville, aged 24, who settled in Montreal, Canada, in 1914
Winiford Turville, aged 22, who settled in Montreal, Canada, in 1914

Turville migration to Australia +

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

Turville Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Mr. John Turville, British Convict who was convicted in Leicester, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Asiatic" on 26th May 1843, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 5
John Turville, aged 26, who arrived in South Australia in 1854 aboard the ship "Star Queen" 6

Turville 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:

Turville Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Thomas Turville, aged 30, a sawyer, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Oliver Lang" in 1856
Ann Turville, aged 29, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Oliver Lang" in 1856
Betsy Turville, aged 13, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Oliver Lang" in 1856
Mary A. Turville, aged 2, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Oliver Lang" in 1856

Contemporary Notables of the name Turville (post 1700) +

Janet Turville, American Republican politician, Alternate Delegate to Republican National Convention from Florida, 1964 7
Edward A. Turville, American Republican politician, Delegate to Republican National Convention from Florida, 1960 7
Frank Turville, Canadian all-star Canadian CFL football player who played from 1928 to 1936

The Turville 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: Virtus semper eadem
Motto Translation: Virtue is always the same.

Citations +

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)
Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
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
Burke, John Bernard, The Roll of Battle Abbey. London: Edward Churton, 26, Holles Street, 1848, Print.
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 14th July 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/asiatic
South Australian Register Monday 1st January 1855. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) Star Queen 1854. Retrieved http://www.theshipslist.com/ships/australia/starqueen1854.shtml
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2016, January 7) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html