| ![Show Contents]() Gledwill History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
- Origins Available:
 England The name Gledwill is part of the ancient legacy of the Anglo-Saxon tribes of Britain. It is a product of when the family lived in the region of Gledhill in the West Riding of Yorkshire. The name is a habitational name from the Old English gleoda which means "kite" and hyll which means "hill." 1 Early Origins of the Gledwill familyThe surname Gledwill was first found in Yorkshire near Halifax where they held a family seat as Lords of the manor of Gledhill from very ancient times. Barkisland in the West Riding of Yorkshire was home to another branch of the family but has since been lost. "Barkisland Hall, the ancient seat of the Gledhill family, is a stately mansion in the old English style of domestic architecture, and has long been the property of the Bolds of Bold Hall, Lancashire. The grammar school here, an ancient structure, was endowed in 1657 with £200 by Mrs. Sarah Gledhill" 2 Early History of the Gledwill familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Gledwill research. Another 127 words (9 lines of text) covering the years 1300, 1600, 1638, 1677, 1702, 1707, 1719, 1730 and 1735 are included under the topic Early Gledwill History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Gledwill Spelling VariationsThe first dictionaries that appeared in the last few hundred years did much to standardize the English language. Before that time, spelling variations in names were a common occurrence. The language was changing, incorporating pieces of other languages, and the spelling of names changed with it. Gledwill has been spelled many different ways, including Gledall, Gledhill, Gladhill, Gladhall, Glanville and others. Early Notables of the Gledwill familyDistinguished members of the family include Samuel Gledhill (1677-1735), lieutenant-governor of Placentia, Newfoundland from 1719-c.1730. Born at Horbury, near Wakefieid, Yorkshire, he was the youngest of the 13 children of Robert Gledhill, a cloth-dresser and educated at Wakefield Grammar School. He joined the navy but was kidnapped in Spain to be sold as a slave in the West Indies. After gaining his freedom he made his way to Spain and was commissioned a...
Another 73 words (5 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Gledwill Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Migration of the Gledwill familyThousands of English families in this era began to emigrate the New World in search of land and freedom from religious and political persecution. Although the passage was expensive and the ships were dark, crowded, and unsafe, those who made the voyage safely were rewarded with opportunities unavailable to them in their homeland. Research into passenger and immigration lists has revealed some of the very first Gledwills to arrive in North America: George Gledhill who settled in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1852; Henry and James Gledhill settled in Philadelphia in 1834; Travis Gledhill settled in Philadelphia in 1864..
- Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
- Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
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