Of all the Anglo-Saxon names to come from Britain, Preswold is one of the most ancient. The name is a result of the original family having lived in or near the priest's wood, or in Prestwood, a place-name found in Buckinghamshire and in Sussex. The place-name and the surname are derived from the Old English words preost, which meant priest, and wudu, which meant wood or forest. The surname means "dweller by the priest's wood."
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Early Origins of the Preswold family
The surname Preswold was first found in Worcestershire where they held a family seat as Lords of the Manor of Prestwood. Little is recorded of their early history before the 13th century but the senior representative of the family was Reginald Prestwood who lived about 1400. The family moved at this point south to Devon where the main stem resided. The family also gave their name to Prestwood in Shropshire and Buckinghamshire. They also branched to Staffordshire.
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Early History of the Preswold family
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Preswold research. Another 143 words (10 lines of text) covering the years 1570, 1608, 1628, 1629, 1655, 1692 and 1707 are included under the topic Early Preswold History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
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Preswold Spelling Variations
The 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. Preswold has been spelled many different ways, including Prestwood, Presswood, Prestwold, Presswold, Prestwald and many more.
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Early Notables of the Preswold family
Another 37 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Preswold Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
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Migration of the Preswold family
Thousands 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 Preswolds to arrive in North America: Roger Presswood who landed in North America in 1700; Joan Prestwood, who settled in Virginia in 1666; and Richard Prestwood, who was on record in Baltimore in 1749..
England
