Abrahall History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

Early Origins of the Abrahall family

The surname Abrahall was first found in Herefordshire where they held a family seat as Lords of the Manor. The Saxon influence of English history diminished after the Battle of Hastings in 1066. The language of the courts was French for the next three centuries and the Norman ambience prevailed. But Saxon surnames survived and the family name was first referenced in the 13thh century when they held estates in that shire.

Early History of the Abrahall family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Abrahall research. Another 154 words (11 lines of text) covering the years 1081, 1139, 1140, 1159, 1419, 1437, 1442, 1443, 1455, 1487, 1510, 1532, 1545 and 1600 are included under the topic Early Abrahall History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Abrahall Spelling Variations

Spelling variations in names were a common occurrence before English spelling was standardized a few hundred years ago. In the Middle Ages, even the literate spelled their names differently as the English language incorporated elements of French, Latin, and other European languages. Many variations of the name Abrahall have been found, including Abrahhall, Abrahal, Abbrahall, Abrehall, Abrehal, Abrahale, Abrell, Abbrell, Ebrell and many more.

Early Notables of the Abrahall family

Distinguished members of the family include

John Abrahall (died 1443), an English politician, Member of Parliament for Hereford in 1419 and from 1437-1442

Abrahall migration to the United States +

Families began migrating abroad in enormous numbers because of the political and religious discontent in England. Often faced with persecution and starvation in England, the possibilities of the New World attracted many English people. Although the ocean trips took many lives, those who did get to North America were instrumental in building the necessary groundwork for what would become for new powerful nations. Some of the first immigrants to cross the Atlantic and come to North America bore the name Abrahall, or a variant listed above:

Abrahall Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Captain Robert Abrahall, from Herefordshire, England who settled in New Kent County c. 1650 where he was granted 1,010 acres and became the first member of the Virginia House of Burgesses in 1654 and later from 1659 to 1660 1
Richard Abrahall, who landed in Maryland in 1655 1
Richard Abrahall, who arrived in Maryland between 1655-1658
Robert Abrahall in Virginia between 1659 and 1660
Ens Richard Abrahall, who landed in Carolina in 1666 1
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Abrahall Settlers in United States in the 20th Century

Frances Abrahall, aged 37, who arrived in America, in 1921
Francis H. Abrahall, aged 45, who arrived in New York City, in 1924

Abrahall 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:

Abrahall Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

John Abrahall, aged 22, a labourer, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Strathnaver" in 1874

Contemporary Notables of the name Abrahall (post 1700) +

Colin Abrahall, English musician, known for his work with Charged GBH, an English street punk band
Anthony Leigh Egerton Hoskyns- Abrahall (1903-1982), English clergyman, Anglican Bishop of Lancaster from 1955 until 1975

Citations +

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)