Show ContentsCorhill History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Early Origins of the Corhill family

The surname Corhill was first found in Kent where they were a baronial family, of whom William Corniole held a barony there at the time of the Domesday Book of 1086. 1

A few years later, "Reginald de Cornhull was listed in 1165; and Gervase de Cornhill held a fief from the Earl of Essex. The latter was Viscount of Kent, 1168-73, and the family frequently held that office afterwards." 2 A few years later, Gweruse de Cornhill was noted as holding estates in London in 1179. 3

William of Cornhill (d. 1223), was Bishop of Coventry and Lichfield and belonged to a family several members of which were high in the service of Henry II and his sons. "Their name indicates their London origin, and the first mentioned, Gervase of Cornhill, was sheriff of London early in Henry II's reign. He afterwards became an itinerant justice, and was sheriff of Surrey and Kent for many years. He left three sons, Henry, Reginald, and Ralph, of whom Reginald was the most conspicuous. This Reginald also was sheriff of Kent for a very long period, the principal interests of the family being now centred in that county. He was a close friend of King John, and hated as one of the cruellest of his evil counsellors. It was under his auspices that Cornhill, who was probably his nephew, but possibly his son, first entered into public life. About 1204 Cornhill's name begins to appear frequently in the records as a royal clerk and an officer of the exchequer. In that year he received from King John the grant of some houses in London." 4

Early History of the Corhill family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Corhill research. Another 81 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1455, 1487 and 1670 are included under the topic Early Corhill History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Corhill Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Corhill, Cornhell, Cornell, Cornill and others.

Early Notables of the Corhill family

Distinguished members of the family include

  • the Corhill family of Kent

Migration of the Corhill family

Some of the first settlers of this family name or some of its variants were: the name represented in many forms and recorded from the mid 17th century in the great migration from Europe. Migrants settled in the eastern seaboard from Newfoundland, to Maine, to Virginia, the Carolinas, and to the islands..



  1. Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
  2. The Norman People and Their Existing Descendants in the British Dominions and the United States Of America. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing, 1975. Print. (ISBN 0-8063-0636-X)
  3. Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
  4. Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print


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