Cornhell History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The surname Cornhell 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