Attawell History, Family Crest & Coats of ArmsThe name Attawell is an old Anglo-Saxon name. It comes from when a family lived in southeastern England mainly in the counties of Oxfordshire and Cambridgeshire where they were found since the early Middle Ages. 1 The name is toponymic; that is, it is descriptive of the place where the original bearer lived. Literally the name is derived from the Old English atwell, meaning dweller at the well. 2 Another source noted that the name is from "Atte Welle; a location name. Adopted as a surname 1258-1358, Court of Husting, London. " 3 Early Origins of the Attawell familyThe surname Attawell was first found in south eastern England mainly in the counties of Oxfordshire and Cambridgeshire where they held a family seat for many, many centuries. They are recorded as possessing estates before the advent of the Norman Conquest in 1066 A.D. but many of them were lost to their Norman overlords by forfeit. The Eatwell variant is thought to be related to a Hugo de Hetewelle, listed in 1187 in the Pipe Rolls for Derbyshire. 4 There were a multitude of early spellings of the name. The Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 list: Adam Ate Welle, Oxfordshire; and John Atewelle, Cambridgeshire. The Writ of Parliament list: William atte Well, 1313 and John Atwelle. The Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379 lists Willelmus Attewell. In Norfolk, Jef the Franch Atwelle, was rector of Erpingham, Norfolk, 1448 and Hugh Attwyll, was parson of Cawverly, Devon, 1602. 5 Early History of the Attawell familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Attawell research. Another 120 words (9 lines of text) covering the years 1258, 1495, 1499, 1609 and 1621 are included under the topic Early Attawell History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Attawell Spelling VariationsBefore the last few hundred years, the English language had no fast system of spelling rules. For that reason, spelling variations are commonly found in early Anglo-Saxon surnames. Over the years, many variations of the name Attawell were recorded, including Attwill, Attwell, Atwill, Atwell, Atthill, Athill, Atwool, Attwel and many more. Early Notables of the Attawell familyDistinguished members of the family include John Atwell, Rector of Exeter College, Oxford (1495-1499); and Hugh Atwell (died 1621), an English actor, one of the 'Children of her Majesty's... Migration of the Attawell familyTo escape oppression and starvation at that time, many English families left for the "open frontiers" of the New World with all its perceived opportunities. In droves people migrated to the many British colonies, those in North America in particular, paying high rates for passages in cramped, unsafe ships. Although many of the settlers did not make the long passage alive, those who did see the shores of North America perceived great opportunities before them. Many of the families that came from England went on to make essential contributions to the emerging nations of Canada and the United States. Research into various historical records revealed some of first members of the Attawell family emigrate to North America: Benjamin Attwell, who settled in New London in Massachusetts in 1638; Ann Attwell, who came to Maryland in 1661; Mary Attwell, sent to Nevis as a servant from Bristol in 1661.
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