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![Show Contents]() Raddell History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
- Origins Available:
 England
Early Origins of the Raddell familyThe surname Raddell was first found in Hertfordshire where they held a family seat as Lords of the Manor. After the Battle of Hastings in 1066, William, Duke of Normandy, having prevailed over King Harold, granted most of Britain to his many victorious Barons. It was not uncommon to find a Baron, or a Bishop, with 60 or more Lordships scattered throughout the country. These he gave to his sons, nephews and other junior lines of his family and they became known as under-tenants. They adopted the Norman system of surnames which identified the under-tenant with his holdings so as to distinguish him from the senior stem of the family. After many rebellious wars between his Barons, Duke William, commissioned a census of all England to determine in 1086, settling once and for all, who held which land. He called the census the Domesday Book, 1 indicating that those holders registered would hold the land until the end of time. Hence, conjecturally, the surname is descended from the tenant of the lands of Radwall held by Adam, a Norman noble, who was under tenant of the Bishop of Bayeux and who was recorded in the Domesday Book census of 1086. Early History of the Raddell familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Raddell research. Another 75 words (5 lines of text) covering the year 1185 is included under the topic Early Raddell History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Raddell Spelling VariationsAnglo-Norman names tend to be marked by an enormous number of spelling variations. This is largely due to the fact that Old and Middle English lacked any spelling rules when Norman French was introduced in the 11th century. The languages of the English courts at that time were French and Latin. These various languages mixed quite freely in the evolving social milieu. The final element of this mix is that medieval scribes spelled words according to their sounds rather than any definite rules, so a name was often spelled in as many different ways as the number of documents it appeared in. The name was spelled Radwell, Raddell, Raddle, Reddall, Reddall, Radwele and many more. Early Notables of the Raddell familyMore information is included under the topic Early Raddell Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Migration of the Raddell familyBecause of the political and religious discontent in England, families began to migrate abroad in enormous numbers. Faced with persecution and starvation at home, the open frontiers and generally less oppressive social environment of the New World seemed tantalizing indeed to many English people. The trip was difficult, and not all made it unscathed, but many of those who did get to Canada and the United States made important contributions to the young nations in which they settled. Some of the first North American settlers with Raddell name or one of its variants: Johanna Radwell, who settled in America in 1720; Thomas Radwell, who arrived in America in 1731; William Radwell, who settled in Jamaica in 1735; Robert Radwell, who settled in America in 1747.
- Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
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