Batwell History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Scotland
Ireland
England

In ancient Scotland, the first people to use the name Batwell were part of a tribe known as the Strathclyde Britons. The name is derived from any of several place names in England, such as Battle in Sussex. Contrary to what one would expect, the name is not a nickname or occupational name derived from the word battle.

Early Origins of the Batwell family

The surname Batwell was first found in Berwickshire an ancient county of Scotland, presently part of the Scottish Borders Council Area, located in the eastern part of the Borders Region of Scotland, Scotland.

Early History of the Batwell family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Batwell research. Another 86 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1066, 1400, 1565, 1589, 1614, 1649 and 1713 are included under the topic Early Batwell History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Batwell Spelling Variations

Prior to the first dictionaries, scribes spelled words according to sound. This, and the fact that Scottish names were repeatedly translated from Gaelic to English and back, contributed to the enormous number of spelling variations in Scottish names. Batwell has been spelled Battle, Battell, Battel, Battaile, Battail and others.

Early Notables of the Batwell family

Notable among the family at this time was Thomas Battle advisor to King Henry VIII; and Ralph Battell, D.D. (1649-1713), an English divine. Andrew Battel (fl. 1589-1614), was an English traveller, born in Essex about 1565. "On 20 April 1589 he sailed with Captain Abraham Cocke for Rio de la Plata. After a troublesome voyage they reached the mouth of the river in the autumn, but were forced...
Another 67 words (5 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Batwell Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Batwell family to Ireland

Some of the Batwell 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.

Migration of the Batwell family

In such difficult times, the difficulties of raising the money to cross the Atlantic to North America did not seem so large compared to the problems of keeping a family together in Scotland. It was a journey well worth the cost, since it was rewarded with land and freedom the Scots could not find at home. The American War of Independence solidified that freedom, and many of those settlers went on to play important parts in the forging of a great nation. Among them: Elizabeth Battle who settled in Virginia in 1654; Matthew Battle settled in Virginia in 1647; John settled there in 1654; Thomas in 1652; another Thomas settled in Massachusetts in 1635.