Amundvile History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

Amundvile is an ancient Norman name that arrived in England after the Norman Conquest of 1066. The Amundvile family lived in Amondeville, near Caen. 1

Early Origins of the Amundvile family

The surname Amundvile was first found in Lincolnshire where conjecturally, the surname is descended from the tenant of the lands of Kingerby, Auresby, Ellesham, and Croxton held by Roger de Amondeville from Caen in Normandy. 2

"In Lincolnshire, for some unaccountable reason, the head of the family always bore the mysterious alias of Humfines. The first who came to England, Roger de Amondeville, "called also Humfines," was Seneschal to Remigius, Bishop of Lincoln (one of the compilers of Domesday), and by him endowed with four Lincolnshire manors, Kingerby, the principal seat of his successors, Auresby, Ellesham, and Croxton. He married a daughter of Sir Gerard Salvin, of Thorpe-Salvin in Yorkshire, and left, besides Jolland, his heir, John, and Robert. " 1

Later some of the family branched to "the Yorkshire manor of Carlton. The Amondevilles had already an estate in that county; for Whitaker tells us that they were probably the first grantees of Preston-in-Craven under Robert de Poitou." 1

"The name had not died out, either in Yorkshire or Lincolnshire; though the objectionable form of Humfines occurs no more; for Walter de Amundeville was for seven years Viscount of Lincoln in the early part of Henry III.'s reign; and Whitaker speaks of a Nigel de Amundeville who succeeded Elias in Craven, and was most likely his younger son. Ralph de Amundeville, before 1340, was one of the principal benefactors of Swine Priory, on condition the convent would receive his daughter as a nun." (Clevalend1)

Another branch existed in Warwickshire and Northamptonshire. Henry de Newburgh, the first Norman Earl of Warwick, enfeoffed Ralph de Amundeville at Lighthorne and Berkeswell, where he was seated in the time of Henry I. In 1122 he witnessed his suzerain's foundation charter of the collegiate church of Warwick.

Early History of the Amundvile family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Amundvile research. Another 115 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1179, 1256, 1262, 1510 and 1600 are included under the topic Early Amundvile History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Amundvile Spelling Variations

Anglo-Norman names are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. When the Normans became the ruling people of England in the 11th century, they introduced a new language into a society where the main languages of Old and later Middle English had no definite spelling rules. These languages were more often spoken than written, so they blended freely with one another. Contributing to this mixing of tongues was the fact that medieval scribes spelled words according to sound, ensuring that a person's name would appear differently in nearly every document in which it was recorded. The name has been spelled Amondville, Amondvile, Amundvile, Amundville and others.

Early Notables of the Amundvile family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was Richard Amundeville who in 1256 attended the Earl of Cornwall to Germany; and in 1262, was in the Welsh expedition under Prince Edward. In "Whether he did cordially adhere to the rebellious Barons shortly after, I will not take upon me to say; though plain it is that he was in Kenilworth Castle when the Royal army besieged it, and being reputed one of the Baron's partie, had safe conduct with Henry de Hastings and others, to march out upon the render thereof: yet so far...
Another 94 words (7 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Amundvile Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Amundvile family

For many English families, the political and religious disarray that plagued their homeland made the frontiers of the New World an attractive prospect. Thousands migrated, aboard cramped disease-ridden ships. They arrived sick, poor, and hungry, but were welcomed in many cases with far greater opportunity than at home in England. Many of these hardy settlers went on to make important contributions to the emerging nations in which they landed. Among early immigrants bearing the name Amundvile or a variant listed above were: George Ammond, who was naturalized in Pennsylvania in 1744.

Citations +

Cleveland, Dutchess of The Battle Abbey Roll with some Account of the Norman Lineages. London: John Murray, Abermarle Street, 1889. Print. Volume 1 of 3
Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)