Capewell History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland
Scotland

The ancestors of the bearers of the Capewell family name are thought have lived in ancient Anglo-Saxon England. They were first found near the chapel, The surname Capewell is a topographic surname, which is a type of surname that was given to a person who resided near a physical feature such as a hill, stream, church, or type of tree. In this case the Capewell family were dwellers by the churchyard. [1] [2] [3]

Early Origins of the Capewell family

The surname Capewell was first found in various counties and shires throughout Britain. The earliest record of the family appears to be John Chapel who was listed in the Pipe Rolls of Norfolk in 1202. [4] Later the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 list Hugh de la Chapele in Nottinghamshire. [1]

During the reign of Edward I., Thomas de la Chapele was listed in Northumberland and John atte Chapele was listed in Somerset. [5] William a la Chapele was listed in the Feet of Fines Rolls about the same time. Richard de la Chapele was listed in the Subsidy Rolls of Sussex in 1296. [4] The Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379 list Johannes del Chapell. [1]

Further to the north in Scotland, the name has the same origin, but early records there show the name as more of an occupational name from "the office of usher of the king's chapel, that is, Chancery, was hereditary in a family called from the office de Capella, and was attached to a third part of the lands of Craigmillar. In 1328 there is entry of wages of the boys of William de Capella. John de Capella possessed Craigmillar after the Craigmillars, and in 1374 the lands were purchased from them again by Sir Simon Preston. Little is known of this John de Capella. " [6]

Early History of the Capewell family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Capewell research. Another 125 words (9 lines of text) covering the years 1374, 1569, 1579, 1582, 1588, 1649, 1677, 1728, 1729, 1737, 1745, 1746, 1775, 1795, 1812, 1826, 1830, 1834, 1838, 1840 and 1855 are included under the topic Early Capewell History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Capewell Spelling Variations

Until quite recently, the English language has lacked a definite system of spelling rules. Consequently, Anglo-Saxon surnames are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. Changes in Anglo-Saxon names were influenced by the evolution of the English language, as it incorporated elements of French, Latin, and other languages. Although Medieval scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded, so it is common to find one person referred to by several different spellings of his surname, even the most literate people varied the spelling of their own names. Variations of the name Capewell include Chapel, Chappell, Chappel, Chappelle, Chapele, Chapell, Chapple and many more.

Early Notables of the Capewell family

Distinguished members of the family include William Chappell (1582-1649), English divine, Bishop of Cork, the son of Robert Chappell, and born at Laxton, Nottinghamshire, on 10 Dec. 1582. [7]William Chapple (1677-1745), English judge, was one of the Chapples of Waybay House, Dorsetshire. "About 1728 he was appointed a judge on the North Wales circuit, and in 1729...
Another 56 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Capewell Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Capewell family to Ireland

Some of the Capewell 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.

Capewell migration to the United States +

Searching for a better life, many English families migrated to British colonies. Unfortunately, the majority of them traveled under extremely harsh conditions: overcrowding on the ships caused the majority of the immigrants to arrive diseased, famished, and destitute from the long journey across the ocean. For those families that arrived safely, modest prosperity was attainable, and many went on to make invaluable contributions to the development of the cultures of the new colonies. Research into the origins of individual families in North America revealed records of the immigration of a number of people bearing the name Capewell or a variant listed above:

Capewell Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

George Capewell, aged 2, who settled in America from Northwood, in 1898
Hannah Capewell, aged 25, who landed in America from Northwood, in 1898

Capewell Settlers in United States in the 20th Century

George Joseph Capewell, aged 61, who immigrated to the United States from London, in 1904
Mrs. Hannah Capewell, aged 32, who settled in America from Liverpool, in 1904
George Capewell, aged 31, who immigrated to the United States from England, in 1904
Annie Capewell, aged 14, who landed in America from Stafford, England, in 1908
Henry Capewell, aged 35, who immigrated to America from London, England, in 1908
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Capewell migration to Australia +

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

Capewell Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Charles Capewell, English convict from Staffordshire, who was transported aboard the "Agincourt" on July 6, 1844, settling in Van Diemen's Land, Australia [8]
Mr. John Capewell, (b. 1823), aged 35, English shoe maker who was convicted in Derby, Derbyshire, England for 8 years for larceny, transported aboard the "Edwin Fox" on 24th August 1858, arriving in Western Australia, Australia, he died in 1890

Contemporary Notables of the name Capewell (post 1700) +

Leonard King "Len" Capewell (1895-1978), English professional footballer
William "Bill" Capewell (b. 1878), English footballer
Les Capewell (b. 1959), retired English professional darts player
Lieutenant General David A. Capewell OBE, British Royal Marines officer, current Chief of Joint Operations
Luke Capewell (b. 1989), Australian professional rugby league footballer

Citations +

Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
Smith, Eldson Coles, New Dictionary of American Family Names New York: Harper & Row, 1956. Print
Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
Dickinson, F.H., Kirby's Quest for Somerset of 16th of Edward the 3rd London: Harrison and Sons, Printers in Ordinary to Her Majesty, St, Martin's Lane, 1889. Print.
Black, George F., The Surnames of Scotland Their Origin, Meaning and History. New York: New York Public Library, 1946. Print. (ISBN 0-87104-172-3)
Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print
State Library of Queensland. (Retrieved 2014, November 24) Agincourt voyage to Van Diemen's Land, Australia in 1844 with 226 passengers. Retrieved from http://www.convictrecords.com.au/ships/agincourt/1844