Gleanville History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

The name Gleanville was brought to England in the wave of migration that followed the Norman Conquest of 1066. The Gleanville family lived in Suffolk. The name however, is not a reference to this place, but to the family's place of residence sometime prior to the Norman Conquest of England in 1066, Glanville, near Calvados, Normandy. 1

The Glanville variant dates back to Ranulf de Glanville (d. 1190), Chief Justiciar of England. "His family, which probably derived its name from Glanville, near Lisieux, seems to have settled in Suffolk at or soon after the Norman Conquest, and to have become moderately wealthy. Ranulf, it is said, was born at Stratford, that is at Stratford St. Andrew, near Saxmundham. " 2

Bartholomew de Glanville (fl. 1230-1250), was "the name erroneously given to Bartholomew Anglicus or the Englishman." 2

Gilbert de Glanville (d. 1214), was Bishop of Rochester, and a kinsman of Ranulf de Glanville [q. v.], and a native of Northumberland. 2

Early Origins of the Gleanville family

The surname Gleanville was first found in Suffolk an Norfolk. Bromeholme in the parish of Bacton in Norfolk was an ancient family seat established shortly after the Norman Conquest. "A priory for Cluniac monks, dedicated to St. Andrew, was founded in 1113, by William de Glanvill, and for some time subsisted as a cell to the monastery at Castle Acre." 3 Again in Suffolk, but this time in Leiston, Ranulph de Glanville endowed the monastery there in honour of the Virgin Mary in 1182.

Devon was an ancient homestead to the family as "Harwell was a seat of the Glanvilles for some three centuries before they removed to Kilworthy." 4

Early History of the Gleanville family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Gleanville research. Another 103 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1542, 1586, 1600, 1636, 1640, 1645, 1652, 1661, 1664, 1680 and 1735 are included under the topic Early Gleanville History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Gleanville Spelling Variations

Spelling variations in names were a common occurrence in the eras before English spelling was standardized a few hundred years ago. In the Middle Ages, even the literate regularly changed the spellings of their names as the English language incorporated elements of French, Latin, and other European languages. Many variations of the name Gleanville have been found, including Glanfield, Glanville, Glenville and others.

Early Notables of the Gleanville family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was John Glanvill (1664?-1735), English poet and translator, born at Broad Hinton, Wiltshire, about 1664, the son of Julius Glanvil of Lincoln's Inn. 2 Joseph Glanvill (1636-1680), was an English divine, third son of Nicholas Glanvill of Halwell, Whitchurch, Devonshire, was born at Plymouth in 1636, and entered...
Another 54 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Gleanville Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Gleanville family

For many English families, the social climate in England was oppressive and lacked opportunity for change. For such families, the shores of Ireland, Australia, and the New World beckoned. They left their homeland at great expense in ships that were overcrowded and full of disease. Many arrived after the long voyage sick, starving, and without a penny. But even those were greeted with greater opportunity than they could have experienced back home. Numerous English settlers who arrived in the United States and Canada at this time went on to make important contributions to the developing cultures of those countries. Many of those families went on to make significant contributions to the rapidly developing colonies in which they settled. Early North American records indicate many people bearing the name Gleanville were among those contributors: John Glamfield who settled in Virginia in 1654; who later correctly spelled his name Glanfield.

Citations +

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)
Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print
Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
Worth, R.N., A History of Devonshire London: Elliot Stock, 62, Paternoster Row, E.G., 1895. Digital