Peirsol History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

The name Peirsol reached English shores for the first time with the ancestors of the Peirsol family as they migrated following the Norman Conquest of 1066. The Peirsol family lived in Staffordshire, at Pearsall, from whence they took their name. "The family are of Norman origin, having been founded, at the place referred to, by Robert, a follower of Robert of Stafford, early in the reign of the Conqueror. He was son of Gilbert, son of Richard, Count of Corbeil in Normandy." 1

Early Origins of the Peirsol family

The surname Peirsol was first found in Staffordshire where they held an estate now known as Pearshall, Peshale or Pershall. 2

Robert Fitz Gilbert de Corbeil, acquired the manor of Peshale, and his son Robert was the first to begin calling himself de Peshale after the name of this manor. 3

Another early record was found in the "Testa de Nevill, sive Liber Feodorum, temp. Henry III-Edward I." which listed Thomas de Peshale, Staffordshire. 4

Early History of the Peirsol family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Peirsol research. Another 123 words (9 lines of text) covering the years 1341, 1374, 1376, 1531, 1539, 1629, 1633, 1634, 1653, 1670, 1676, 1696, 1702, 1795 and 1856 are included under the topic Early Peirsol History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Peirsol Spelling Variations

Before the advent of the printing press and the first dictionaries, the English language was not standardized. Sound was what guided spelling in the Middle Ages, so one person's name was often recorded under several variations during a single lifetime. Spelling variations were common, even among the names of the most literate people. Known variations of the Peirsol family name include Pearsall, Pershall, Persall, Parsil, Parcell, Parcel and many more.

Early Notables of the Peirsol family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was John Persall (1633-1702), alias Harcourt, English Jesuit, born in Staffordshire in 1633, from of an ancient Catholic family there, vice-provincial of England in 1696. He entered the...
Another 35 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Peirsol Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Peirsol family

To escape the political and religious chaos of this era, thousands of English families began to migrate to the New World in search of land and freedom from religious and political persecution. The passage was expensive and the ships were dark, crowded, and unsafe; however, those who made the voyage safely were encountered opportunities that were not available to them in their homeland. Many of the families that reached the New World at this time went on to make important contributions to the emerging nations of the United States and Canada. Research into various historical records has revealed some of first members of the Peirsol family to immigrate North America: Jonas Parshall, who settled in Virginia in 1620; Thomas Pearsall, who arrived in Virginia in 1631; Henry Pearsall, who arrived in Long Island in 1657.

Contemporary Notables of the name Peirsol (post 1700) +

Aaron Wells Peirsol (b. 1983), American twenty-nine time gold medalist competition swimmer and backstroke specialist
Thomas Reardon Peirsol (d. 1959), American Republican politician, Presidential Elector for Michigan, 1940 5

Citations +

Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
Harrison, Henry, Surnames of the United Kingdom: A Concise Etymological Dictionary Baltimore: Geneological Publishing Company, 2013. Print
Cleveland, Dutchess of The Battle Abbey Roll with some Account of the Norman Lineages. London: John Murray, Abermarle Street, 1889. Print. Volume 2 of 3
Testa de Nevill or "Liber Feodorum" or "Book of Fees," thought to have been written by Ralph de Nevill, for King John (1199–1216)
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, November 4) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html