Polem History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

Early Origins of the Polem family

The surname Polem was first found in Cornwall where "in the ancient deeds of the Cornish family, the spellings Polwhele and Polhill are employed indifferently. The Polhills were certainly at Detling, co. Kent, in or before the reign of Edward II. An old spelling of the family was Polley." 1

"Polwhele, the seat of an ancient family of this name, is in this parish. The present representative is the Rev. Richard Polwhele, who now resides at Kenwyn, of whose literary character we have already spoken. The ancestors of this gentleman are said to have settled here prior to the Norman Conquest. Drogo de Polwhele was chamberlain to the empress Maude, early in the twelfth century, perhaps not fifty years after the Conquest. Their ancient castle, William of Worcester described as in ruins, about the middle of the fifteenth century. No vestige of this building remains; and the manor house, until lately repaired, discovered the effects of age, and furnished strong intimations of having passed through better days." 2

Once more into the archives we delved to find Walter de Polhey in the Feet of Fines for Essex in 1248; William de Poleye in the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 for Berkshire; Elias de Polye, de Polee in the Hundredorum Rolls for Norfolk in 1275; William de Polleye in the Subsidy Rolls for Worcestershire in 1275; William Polleye in early Colchester record for 1346; and John Poley in the Assize Rolls for Essex in 1379. 3

Early History of the Polem family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Polem research. Another 139 words (10 lines of text) covering the years 1050, 1140, 1555, 1568, 1574, 1586, 1602, 1619, 1622, 1654, 1671, 1674, 1689, 1694, 1707, 1754 and 1805 are included under the topic Early Polem History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Polem Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Polhill, Polwhele, Polwel, Polhel, Polhal, Polley and many more.

Early Notables of the Polem family

Notables of this surname at this time include: Margaret Polley (died 1555), English Protestant martyr from Rochester, Kent; Sir Edmund Poley (1619-1671), Member of Parliament for Bury St Edmunds; and his son, Henry Poley (1654-1707), an English Member of Parliament; and David Polhill (1674-1754), British politician, MP for Rochester, Bramber and Kent. Robert Poley, or Pooley (fl. 1568-1602), was an English double agent and government messenger employed...
Another 66 words (5 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Polem Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Polem family

Some of the first settlers of this family name or some of its variants were: Nathaniel Polhill settled in Georgian with his wife Sarah and four children.

Citations +

Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
Hutchins, Fortescue, The History of Cornwall, from the Earliest Records and Traditions to the Present Time. London: William Penaluna, 1824. Print
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)