Balkwel History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

When the ancestors of the Balkwel family emigrated to England following the Norman Conquest in 1066 they brought their family name with them. They lived in Derbyshire, in the town of Bakewell.

Early Origins of the Balkwel family

The surname Balkwel was first found in Derbyshire, at Bakewell, today a small market town in the Peak District. The town dates back to at least Anglo Saxon times when it was listed as Balecanwell in 949. By the time of the Domesday Book, the place was listed as Badequella and was derived from an Old English personal name + wella meaning "spring or stream of a man called Badeca." 1

At that time, King Edward had 18 carucates of land to the geld and the land was large enough to hold 18 ploughs. There was one mill, one church and one lead mine with 80 acres of meadows. 2

Bakewell Castle in the town of Bakewell was a motte and bailey castle built in the 12th century that was razed to the ground during the English Civil War; now only ruins can be seen.

John de Bankwell, Bakwell, or Banquelle (d. 1308), was an early English judge, "appointed in 1297 to travel the forests in Essex, Huntingdon, Northampton, Rutland, Surrey, and Sussex, for the purpose of enforcing the observance of the forest laws of Henry III." 3

Roger de Bankwell (fl. 1340), the English judge, was "perhaps of the same family as John de Bankwell, and was one of three commissioners entrusted with the assessment of the tallage in the counties of Nottingham and Derby in 1333." 3

Early History of the Balkwel family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Balkwel research. Another 47 words (3 lines of text) covering the years 1066, 1618, 1650, 1654, 1665, 1682, 1683, 1685, 1689, 1690, 1701, 1708 and 1752 are included under the topic Early Balkwel History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Balkwel Spelling Variations

The English language only became standardized in the last few centuries. For that reason, spelling variations are common among many Anglo-Norman names. The shape of the English language was frequently changed with the introduction of elements of Norman French, Latin, and other European languages; even the spelling of literate people's names were subsequently modified. Balkwel has been recorded under many different variations, including Bakewell, Backwell, Bakwell, Balkwell, Balkwill, Backwall, Bakewill, Bagwell and many more.

Early Notables of the Balkwel family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was Sir Robert Bakewell of the Old Hall; Edward Backwell (ca. 1618-1683), an English goldsmith, financier, and politician, often referred to as "the principal founder of the banking system in England", and "far and away the best documented banker of his time"; and his son, John Backwell...
Another 54 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Balkwel Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Balkwel family to Ireland

Some of the Balkwel family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 88 words (6 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Balkwel family

To escape the uncertainty of the political and religious uncertainty found in England, many English families boarded ships at great expense to sail for the colonies held by Britain. The passages were expensive, though, and the boats were unsafe, overcrowded, and ridden with disease. Those who were hardy and lucky enough to make the passage intact were rewarded with land, opportunity, and social environment less prone to religious and political persecution. Many of these families went on to be important contributors to the young nations of Canada and the United States where they settled. Balkwels were some of the first of the immigrants to arrive in North America: Henry Bagwell who settled in Virginia in 1623; Peter Bagwell settled in Barbados in 1685; Thomas Bagwell in Virginia 1623; Francis Bakewell settled in Virginia in 1635.

Citations +

Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print