Westell History, Family Crest & Coats of ArmsEarly Origins of the Westell familyThe surname Westell was first found in Wasdale, or Nether Wasdale, a chapelry, in the parish of St. Bees, union of Whitehaven in Cumberland. Wasdale-Head is a chapelry, nit far from Wasdale. 1 The earliest spelling of the place name was Wastedale in 1279 in the Hundredorum Rolls. By 1334, the place name was known as Wascedaleheved and literally meant "valley of the water or lake". 2 As far as the surname is concerned, it could also have been a Norman name as the Magni Rotuli Scaccarii Normanniae of 1180 listed Roger and Hugh Wastel living in Normandy at that time. 3 However, another source notes that the name could also have derived from a type of "fine bread" or "wassail-bowl" as Chaucer notes as "Prioress fed her hounds with Wastel brede." 4 Exploring the origins of the name in ancient Britain led to the year 1182 when Ralph Wastel held lands in Bury St Edmunds in Suffolk. Soon thereafter the family branched north to Westmorland where they acquired Wastell-head. Ralph and Richard Wastel were listed the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273. 5 The Wacelin variant has a slightly different origin. "Gacelin, or Wazelin, probably a noble of Anjou, held lands from Geoffrey de Wirce in Lincoln 1086. John Wascelin was of Lincoln 1189, and Reginald held of Crevecoeur 6. Geofifry Gascelyn was summoned to parliament by writ, 1259. " 3 "This must have been the Geoffrey Watelin or Wacelin entered in the Hundred Rolls, c. 1272, as seated in Norfolk, who was a benefactor of Jerveaulx Abbey. The family continued in Lincolnshire for a considerable time. Richard de Wacelyn or Walkelin, 28 Hen. III, held in Foteburne, in that county, by the serjeanty of finding (with two others) one balistar, with six quarrels and a sumpter horse, in the King's army, for forty days." 7 Early History of the Westell familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Westell research. Another 124 words (9 lines of text) covering the years 1406, 1410, 1455, 1460, 1487, 1515, 1592, 1599, 1602, 1623 and 1632 are included under the topic Early Westell History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Westell Spelling VariationsSpelling variations of this family name include: Wastell, Wastall, Wassell, Washtell, Wassall, Gastell, Westell, Wastoile, Westoile, Waistell, Wassell, Wessel, Wessell and many more. Early Notables of the Westell familyDistinguished members of the family include Robert Wastell (fl. 1406-1410) from Totnes, Devon, an English politician, Member of the Parliament for Totnes in 1406 and 1410; and John Wastell (1460-1515), English Gothic architect responsible for Manchester Cathedral, parts of King's College Chapel, Cambridge, the crossing tower (Bell Harry Tower) of Canterbury Cathedral, and the fan vaulted section of Peterborough Cathedral.
Simon Wastell (died 1632), was a...
Some of the first settlers of this family name were: Westell Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
Westell Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
The British first settled the British West Indies around 1604. They made many attempts but failed in some to establish settlements on the Islands including Saint Lucia and Grenada. By 1627 they had managed to establish settlements on St. Kitts (St. Christopher) and Barbados, but by 1641 the Spanish had moved in and destroyed some of these including those at Providence Island. The British continued to expand the settlements including setting the First Federation in the British West Indies by 1674; some of the islands include Barbados, Bermuda, Cayman Island, Turks and Caicos, Jamaica and Belize then known as British Honduras. By the 1960's many of the islands became independent after the West Indies Federation which existed from 1958 to 1962 failed due to internal political conflicts. After this a number of Eastern Caribbean islands formed a free association. 8 Westell Settlers in West Indies in the 18th Century
HMS Royal Oak
|