Show ContentsBarwell History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Barwell is a name that first reached England following the Norman Conquest of 1066. The Barwell family lived in Leicestershire in the midlands of England. A parish in this area bears the name Barwellwith a population today of about 6,300. The family derives their name from this location. The name Barwell is composed of the Old English elements bar, meaning wild boar, and well, which means well or stream.

Early Origins of the Barwell family

The surname Barwell was first found in Leicestershire in the midlands of England where they held a family seat soon after the Norman Conquest by Duke William of Normandy in 1066 A.D. The Barwells or Barwicks were originally from Berville in Normandy where they held many knight's fees, and estates.

Early History of the Barwell family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Barwell research. Another 94 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1639 and 1912 are included under the topic Early Barwell History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Barwell Spelling Variations

It is only in the last few hundred years that the English language has been standardized. For that reason, Anglo-Norman surnames like Barwell are characterized by many spelling variations. Scribes and monks in the Middle Ages spelled names they sounded, so it is common to find several variations that refer to a single person. As the English language changed and incorporated elements of other European languages such as Norman French and Latin, even literate people regularly changed the spelling of their names. The variations of the name Barwell include Barwell, Barwick, Berwell, Barwel, Berwel, Berwelle and many more.

Early Notables of the Barwell family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was

  • John Barwell of Garradon

Ireland Migration of the Barwell family to Ireland

Some of the Barwell family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt. More information about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.


United States Barwell migration to the United States +

Faced with the chaos present in England at that time, many English families looked towards the open frontiers of the New World with its opportunities to escape oppression and starvation. People migrated to North America, as well as Australia and Ireland in droves, paying exorbitant rates for passages in cramped, unsafe ships. Many of the settlers did not make the long passage alive, but those who did see the shores of North America were welcomed with great opportunity. Many of the families that came from England went on to make essential contributions to the emerging nations of Canada and the United States. Some of the first immigrants to cross the Atlantic and come to North America carried the name Barwell, or a variant listed above:

Barwell Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
  • Joseph Barwell, who landed in Maryland in 1666 1
  • John Barwell who settled in New England in 1678
Barwell Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
  • Elizabeth Barwell, who settled in Maryland in 1774
Barwell Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • William Barwell, who arrived in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1833, he moved westward

Australia Barwell migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Barwell Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
  • Mr. John Barwell, English convict who was convicted in Northamptonshire, England for life, transported aboard the "Baring" in December 1818, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 2
  • William Barwell, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "David Malcolm" in 1849 3

New Zealand Barwell 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:

Barwell Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century
  • Mr. Samuel Barwell, (b. 1832), aged 26, British solider travelling from Gravesend aboard the ship "Maori" arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 14th April 1858 4
  • Mr. George Barwell, (b. 1831), aged 28, English labourer from Middlesex travelling from London aboard the ship "Zealandia" arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 14th November 1859 5
  • Mrs. Anne Barwell, (b. 1839), aged 20, English settler from Middlesex travelling from London aboard the ship "Zealandia" arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 14th November 1859 5
  • Miss Susan Barwell, (b. 1839), aged 20, English domestic servant from Middlesex travelling from London aboard the ship "Zealandia" arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 14th November 1859 5

Contemporary Notables of the name Barwell (post 1700) +

  • Louisa Mary Barwell (1800-1885), née Bacon, English musician and educational writer, born in the parish of St. Peter Mancroft, Norwich, on 4 March 1800
  • Mr. Thomas Barwell, British sheriff, held the joint position of Sheriff of Nottingham, England from 1568 to 1569
  • Richard Barwell (1741-1804), Anglo-Indian, the son of William Barwell, Governor of Bengal in 1748, and afterwards a Director of the East India Company, and Sheriff of Surrey in 1768 6
  • Leon Barwell (1967-2013), British rugby union executive, Chairman of Northampton Saints (2011–2013)
  • Sir Henry Newman Barwell (1877-1959), Australian politician, 28th Premier of South Australia


  1. 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)
  2. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 16th September 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/baring
  3. State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) DAVID MALCOLM 1849. Retrieved from http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1849DavidMalcolm.htm
  4. New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 17th October 2018). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
  5. New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 26th March 2019). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
  6. Wikisource contributors. "Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900." Wikisource . Wikisource , 4 Jun. 2018. Web. 6 June 2019


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