Knele History, Family Crest & Coats of ArmsThe history of the Knele family goes back to the ancient Anglo-Saxon culture of Britain. It is derived from the family living in Kneela, in Devon, or at Knell House in Sussex, or in Knill, in Herefordshire. 1 The place-names described above are all derived from the Old English word cnylle, which meant knoll. The name means "dweller at the knoll." 1 It seems likely that the name originated at Knill, in Herefordshire, as this is the oldest place that bears that name. Knill appears in the Domesday Book as Chenille. 2 Knell House in Sussex derives its name directly from the family name. 1 Early Origins of the Knele familyThe surname Knele was first found in Herefordshire, at Knill, a "parish three miles from Kingston." 3 Alternatively the name could have originated at Nill Well in Cambridgeshire. 1 Early rolls give us a glimpse of the many spelling in use over the centuries. Alvredus de Knelle was listed in the Curia Regis Rolls for Sussex in 1220 and William atte Knells was found in the Subsidy Rolls for Sussex in 1296. 1 The source "Testa de Nevill, sive Liber Feodorum, temp. Henry III-Edward I." lists Henry de Knell, Bedfordshire, Henry III-Edward I. 4 The Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 had two entries for the family, both in Cambridgeshire: Gille de Knille and Robert de Knille. 3 In Somerset, early rolls there listed John atte Knyle, but not date was provided. 5 Early History of the Knele familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Knele research. Another 139 words (10 lines of text) covering the years 1086, 1220, 1273, 1296, 1327, 1560, 1569, 1570, 1571, 1573, 1581, 1600, 1615, 1646, 1656, 1660, 1662, 1664, 1723, 1826, 1835, 1846, 1852, 1857, 1866 and 1875 are included under the topic Early Knele History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Knele Spelling VariationsUntil quite recently, the English language has lacked a definite system of spelling rules. Consequently, Anglo-Saxon surnames are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. Changes in Anglo-Saxon names were influenced by the evolution of the English language, as it incorporated elements of French, Latin, and other languages. Although Medieval scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded, so it is common to find one person referred to by several different spellings of his surname, even the most literate people varied the spelling of their own names. Variations of the name Knele include Knell, Kneller, Knill, Knille, Knelle and others. Early Notables of the Knele familyDistinguished members of the family include Thomas Knell (fl. 1570), an English divine, rector of Wareham, Dorset in 1569; he was appointed rector of St. Nicholas Acons, London, on 6 March 1570, and resigned before 3 March 1573. At times, he was confused with his son, Thomas Knell (fl. 1560-1581), an English clergyman.Paul Knell (1615-1664), was an English divine from Clare Hall, Cambridge. He became vicar of Newchurch, Romsey Marsh, in 1660, rector there in 1662, and vicar of St. Dunstan's, near Canterbury, in 1664. He died at St. Dunstan's, and was buried in the church 24 Aug. 1664. 6Sir Godfrey... Migration of the Knele familySearching for a better life, many English families migrated to British colonies. Unfortunately, the majority of them traveled under extremely harsh conditions: overcrowding on the ships caused the majority of the immigrants to arrive diseased, famished, and destitute from the long journey across the ocean. For those families that arrived safely, modest prosperity was attainable, and many went on to make invaluable contributions to the development of the cultures of the new colonies. Research into the origins of individual families in North America revealed records of the immigration of a number of people bearing the name Knele or a variant listed above: John Knill, who came to Virginia in 1654; William Knell, who came to Virginia in 1654; Elias Kneller, who came to Halifax in 1751; and Christopher Knell, who came to Pennsylvania in 1847..
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