Contents [hide]

Parnell History Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables Ranking

Ireland United States Australia New Zealand

Contemporary Notables Historic Events Related Stories Motto Citations

Parnell History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

The Parnell name is thought to be derived from the medieval female personal name "Peronel, Pernel, Parnell," which came from the Latin "Petronilla," or "Petronia," which was the name of an early Roman martyr. 1 Other sources suggest that the Parnell name is a reference to Pernelle, Normandy, a place of residence prior to the Norman Conquest of England in 1066. "Pernelle was near Valognes, Normandy." 2

Early Origins of the Parnell family

The surname Parnell was first found in Cheshire where they held a family seat from very early times and were granted lands by Duke William of Normandy, their liege Lord, for their distinguished assistance at the Battle of Hastings in 1066 A.D.

The township of Poulton, with Spittal was once a family seat as the manor was once held by the Parnell family. 3

By the time of the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273, the family had scattered and entries were found as both a forename and surname: Petronilla de le Le in Oxfordshire; Pernel Clere in Huntingdonshire; William Peronel and Alexander Pernel in Cambridgeshire. 1 "The Parnells are now principally seated in Devon and Cornwall, but there are a few in Cambridgeshire." 4

Early History of the Parnell family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Parnell research. Another 64 words (5 lines of text) covering the years 1679 and 1718 are included under the topic Early Parnell History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Parnell Spelling Variations

Before the advent of the printing press and the first dictionaries, the English language was not standardized. Sound was what guided spelling in the Middle Ages, so one person's name was often recorded under several variations during a single lifetime. Spelling variations were common, even among the names of the most literate people. Known variations of the Parnell family name include Parnell, Parnel, Parnall and others.

Early Notables of the Parnell family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was

Sir John Parnell

Parnell Ranking

In the United States, the name Parnell is the 2,138^th most popular surname with an estimated 14,922 people with that name. 5

Migration of the Parnell family to Ireland

Some of the Parnell family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 52 words (4 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Parnell migration to the United States +

To escape the political and religious chaos of this era, thousands of English families began to migrate to the New World in search of land and freedom from religious and political persecution. The passage was expensive and the ships were dark, crowded, and unsafe; however, those who made the voyage safely were encountered opportunities that were not available to them in their homeland. Many of the families that reached the New World at this time went on to make important contributions to the emerging nations of the United States and Canada. Research into various historical records has revealed some of first members of the Parnell family to immigrate North America:

Parnell Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

William Parnell, aged 18, who arrived in Virginia in 1622 aboard the ship "Southampton" 6
Walter Parnell, who landed in Virginia in 1623 6
Edward Parnell, aged 16, who arrived in Bermuda, (Somers Islands) in 1635 aboard the ship "Truelove" 6
Jane Parnell, who landed in Virginia in 1663 6

Parnell Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Daniel Parnell, who settled in Georgia with his wife in 1735
Daniel Parnell, who landed in Georgia in 1735 6
Richard Parnell, who arrived in America in 1760-1763 6
Nurse Parnell, who settled in Virginia in 1773

Parnell Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Martha Parnell, aged 18, who landed in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1803 6
Mr. William Parnell, (b. 1782), aged 50, Cornish settler departing from Plymouth aboard the ship "Andromeda" arriving in the United States on 10th May 1832 7
Mrs. Ann Parnell, (b. 1785), aged 47, Cornish settler departing from Plymouth aboard the ship "Andromeda" arriving in the United States on 10th May 1832 7
Miss Maria Parnell, (b. 1809), aged 23, Cornish settler departing from Plymouth aboard the ship "Andromeda" arriving in the United States on 10th May 1832 7
Miss Jane Parnell, (b. 1811), aged 21, Cornish settler departing from Plymouth aboard the ship "Andromeda" arriving in the United States on 10th May 1832 7
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Parnell Settlers in United States in the 20th Century

John Joseph Parnell, who arrived in Alabama in 1920 6

Parnell migration to Australia +

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

Parnell Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Samuel Parnell, a cabinet-maker, who arrived in Van Diemen’s Land (now Tasmania) sometime between 1825 and 1832
Mr. George William Parnell, (b. 1809), aged 19 who was convicted in Middlesex, England for life for stealing, transported aboard the "Bussorah Merchant" on 24th March 1828, arriving in New South Wales, Australia, he died in 1842 8
Mr. Robert Parnell, English convict who was convicted in Suffolk, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Blenheim" on 11th March 1837, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 9
Mr. Alfred Parnell, (b. 1818), aged 20, English convict who was convicted in London, England for 7 years for robbery, transported aboard the "Bengal Merchant" on 24th March 1838, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 10
Henry Parnell, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Lloyds" in 1838 11
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Parnell 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:

Parnell Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Mr. John Parnell, Australian settler travelling from Port of Hobart, Tasmania, Australia on board the ship "David Owen" arriving in New Zealand in 1832 12
Mr. Parnell, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Duke of Roxburgh" arriving in Wellington, New Zealand in 1840 12
Mrs. Parnell, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Duke of Roxburgh" arriving in Wellington, New Zealand in 1840 12
Samuel Duncan Parnell, aged 27, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Duke of Roxburgh" in 1840 13
Arthur Parnell, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Merrington" in 1867
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Parnell (post 1700) +

Mel Parnell (b. 1922), American Major League Baseball player
Peter Parnell (b. 1953), American playwright
Harvey Parnell (1880-1936), American Governor of Arkansas from 1928 to 1933
Richard "Ric" J. Parnell (1951-2022), English rock drummer, known for his work in the band Atomic Rooster and for his role as the ill-fated drummer Mick Shrimpton in the film This Is Spinal Tap
Reginald Harold Haslam "Tim" Parnell (1932-2017), English racing driver, active from 1959 through 1963
Andrew Parnell (b. 1954), English organist and harpsichordist
John Russell "Jack" Parnell (b. 1923), English bandleader and musician
Reginald Harold Haslam Parnell (1911-1964), English Formula One driver and team manager
Sir Christopher Patrick Parnell (b. 1930), English nobleman, 8th Baron Congleton
Henry Brook Parnell (1776-1842), English politician, who was made the 1st Baron Congleton in 1841
... (Another 3 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Historic Events for the Parnell family +

HMS Prince of Wales

Mr. Kirwin Parnell, British Musician, who sailed on the HMS Prince of Wales (1941) prior to its sinking and died in a dockside accident 14

HMS Repulse

Mr. Richard J Parnell, British Stoker 1st Class, who sailed into battle on the HMS Repulse (1941) and survived the sinking 15

The Parnell 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: Te digna sequere
Motto Translation: Follow worthy things.

Citations +

Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
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)
Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
Guppy, Henry Brougham, Homes of Family Names in Great Britain. 1890. Print.
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
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)
Cornwall Online Parish Clerks. (Retrieved 2018, April 30). Emigrants to New York 1820 - 1891 [PDF]. Retrieved from http://www.opc-cornwall.org/Resc/pdfs/emigration_new_york_1820_1891.pdf
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 5th November 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/bussorah-merchant
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 15th October 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/blenheim
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 13th October 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/bengal-merchant
State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) LLOYDS from London 1838. Retrieved from http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1838Lloyds.htm
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 17th October 2018). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 5th November 2010). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
HMS Prince of Wales Crew members. (Retrieved 2014, April 9) . Retrieved from http://www.forcez-survivors.org.uk/biographies/listprincecrew.html
HMS Repulse Crew members. (Retrieved 2014, April 9) . Retrieved from http://www.forcez-survivors.org.uk/biographies/listrepulsecrew.html