Horwell History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

The Anglo-Saxon name Horwell comes from the family having resided in the parish of Hartwell, found in a number of locations including the dioceses of Oxford and Peterborough, as well as the county of Berkshire.

The Buckinghamshire parish was "the residence of Louis XVIII., and his court, during the stay of that monarch in England, prior to his restoration to the French throne: he gave £100 for the use of the poor. " 1 2

Early Origins of the Horwell family

The surname Horwell was first found in Northamptonshire where Hartwell is a village and civil parish bordering Buckinghamshire. The village was listed as Herdeuuelle and Hertewelle in the Domesday Book 3 having been derived from the Old English words heort + wella which meant "spring or stream frequented by deer." 4

Hartwell is also a village in central Buckinghamshire, south of Aylesbury, by the village of Stone but this later reference was later.

Hartwell House is a country house in the village of Hartwell, Buckinghamshire built in the early 17th century. Today the house is owned by the Ernest Cook Trust and is leased to the National Trust.

The Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 had three listings of the family: Decennarius de Hertwell, Northamptonshire; Agatha de Hertwell, Buckinghamshire; and Robert de Hertwell, Buckinghamshire. 5

Early History of the Horwell family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Horwell research. Another 114 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1185, 1259, 1273, 1327, 1542, 1543, 1553, 1559, 1562, 1563, 1565, 1567, 1603 and 1606 are included under the topic Early Horwell History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Horwell Spelling Variations

Horwell has been spelled many different ways. Before English spelling became standardized over the last few hundred years, spelling variations in names were a common occurrence. As the English language changed in the Middle Ages, absorbing pieces of Latin and French, as well as other languages, the spelling of people's names also changed considerably, even over a single lifetime. Spelling variants included: Hartwell, Harwell, Hartswell, Hardwell and others.

Early Notables of the Horwell family

Distinguished members of the family include Abraham Hartwell the Elder (fl. 1565), an English poet, born in 1542 or 1543, educated at Eton; he was admitted scholar at King's College, Cambridge, on 25 Aug. 1559, and became a fellow on 26 Aug. 1562; he graduated B.A. in 1563, M.A. in 1567, and resigned his fellowship in 1567. Abraham Hartwell, the younger (1553-1606)...
Another 61 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Horwell Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Horwell family

In an attempt to escape the chaos experienced in England, many English families boarded overcrowded and diseased ships sailing for the shores of North America and other British colonies. Those families hardy enough, and lucky enough, to make the passage intact were rewarded with land and a social environment less prone to religious and political persecution. Many of these families became important contributors to the young colonies in which they settled. Early immigration and passenger lists have documented some of the first Horwells to arrive on North American shores: Edward Hartwell, who arrived in Virginia in 1638; Jane Hartwell, who also came to Virginia in 1655; Francis Hartwell, who settled in Jamaica in 1686; John Harwell, who arrived in Virginia in 1635.

Contemporary Notables of the name Horwell (post 1700) +

Richard Horwell QC, British lawyer, known for leading Inquests and Public Inquiries, Treasury Counsel from 1991 to 2006
Robert "Bob" Horwell, British cinematographer and actor from Scarborough, North Riding of Yorkshire, best known as an actor for having played the role of Nick Neeson in the British soap opera Coronation Street
Claire Judith Horwell, British Professor of Geohealth in the Department of Earth Sciences and Institute of Hazard, Risk and Resilience at Durham University and the founding Director of the International Volcanic Health Hazard Network (IVHHN)

The Horwell Motto +

The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.

Motto: Sorte sua contentus
Motto Translation: Content with his lot.

Citations +

Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
Arthur, William , An Etymological Dictionary of Family and Christian Names. London: 1857. Print
Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)