Cantwul History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

The ancestors of the name Cantwul date back to the Anglo-Saxon tribes of Britain. The name is derived from when the Cantwul family lived in Kentwell, in the county of Suffolk. Kentwell dates back to the Domesday Book where it was listed as Kanewella, part of the lands held by Frodo, the Abbot's Brother. "Aelfgar held Kentwell freely under Siward of Maldon as a manor with 2 carucates of land with Soke. There were thereon at that time 7 villans, and afterwards, and now 4 villans." 1 Today, Kentwell Hall is a stately home in Long Melford, Suffolk and is used for numerous film and television productions, However, it does date back to presumably the manor mentioned in the Domesday Book but in a very different form. Kentwell Hall was owned later by Galleus from 1145 to 1148. In the early 13th century, records show that Sir Gilbert de Kentewell held the manor, but by 1252 had been granted by King Henry III to Sir William de Valence.

Early Origins of the Cantwul family

The surname Cantwul was first found in Suffolk where the earliest records were in the year 1273 when Gilbert de Kentwelle was listed in the Hundredorum Rolls. This is presumed to be the senior line of the family name but they held a family seat there from a very early date, probably the 10th century.

Early History of the Cantwul family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Cantwul research. Another 29 words (2 lines of text) covering the years 1172, 1319, 1406, 1452 and 1500 are included under the topic Early Cantwul History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Cantwul Spelling Variations

It is only in the last few hundred years that the English language has been standardized. For that reason, early Anglo-Saxon surnames like Cantwul are characterized by many spelling variations. As the English language changed and incorporated elements of other European languages, even literate people changed the spelling of their names. The variations of the name Cantwul include: Cantwall, Cantwell, Cantwel, Kantwell, Kentwell and many more.

Early Notables of the Cantwul family

More information is included under the topic Early Cantwul Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Cantwul family to Ireland

Some of the Cantwul family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 185 words (13 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 Cantwul family

Many English families tired of political and religious strife left Britain for the new colonies in North America. Although the trip itself offered no relief - conditions on the ships were extremely cramped, and many travelers arrived diseased, starving, and destitute - these immigrants believed the opportunities that awaited them were worth the risks. Once in the colonies, many of the families did indeed prosper and, in turn, made significant contributions to the culture and economies of the growing colonies. An inquiry into the early roots of North American families has revealed a number of immigrants bearing the name Cantwul or a variant listed above: John Cantwell settled in Virginia in 1623; Mary Cantwell settled in Pennsylvania in 1685; Edward, Joseph, Leonard, Mathias, Michael, and Patrick all arrived in Philadelphia between 1840 and 1870..