Stoul History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

The present generation of the Stoul family is only the most recent to bear a name, whose roots date back to the ancient Anglo-Saxon culture of Britain. The surname is derived from the Old English "stigol," meaning "stile, steep ascent," and refers to a "dweller by the stile." 1 2 A stile is a set of steps over a stone wall or wooden fence allowing people to traverse, but prevents animals from doing so.

Early Origins of the Stoul family

The surname Stoul was first found in Bedfordshire (Old English: Bedanfordscir), located in Southeast-central England, formerly part of the Anglo-Saxon kingdom of Mercia, where the family held a family seat in early times. The earliest known bearer of the name was Reginald atte Stighel, who was recorded in the Assize Rolls of 1227. The Stoul family branched to other counties at an early date, also appearing in Somerset, where William de Stile and Osmund Atthe Stihele were living in 1229 and 1234 respectively, as well as in Sussex, where William ate Stegel was recorded in the Subsidy Rolls of 1296. 3

The Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 included: Richard de la Style, Bedfordshire; John atte Stile, Oxfordshire; and Robert ate Stiele, Oxfordshire. 2

Early History of the Stoul family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Stoul research. Another 129 words (9 lines of text) covering the years 1500, 1543, 1575, 1603, 1624, 1656, 1659, 1679, 1702 and 1761 are included under the topic Early Stoul History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Stoul Spelling Variations

Only recently has spelling become standardized in the English language. As the English language evolved in the Middle Ages, the spelling of names changed also. The name Stoul has undergone many spelling variations, including Stiles, Styals, Styles, Style, Stoyle, Steggle, Steagall, Steggal and many more.

Early Notables of the Stoul family

Notables of this surname at this time include: Sir Thomas Style, 1st Baronet of Wateringbury, Kent; and his son, Sir Thomas Style, 2nd Baronet (1624-1702) was an English politician, Member of Parliament for Kent (1656-1659.) William Style (1603-1679), was an "English legal author, eldest son of William Style...
Another 47 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Stoul Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Stoul family to Ireland

Some of the Stoul family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt. More information about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Stoul family

To escape the unstable social climate in England of this time, many families boarded ships for the New World with the hope of finding land, opportunity, and greater religious and political freedom. Although the voyages were expensive, crowded, and difficult, those families that arrived often found greater opportunities and freedoms than they could have experienced at home. Many of those families went on to make significant contributions to the rapidly developing colonies in which they settled. Early North American records indicate many people bearing the name Stoul were among those contributors: Francis Stiles, who settled in New England in 1630; Joan Stiles, who immigrated to Boston in 1635; Nathaniell Stiles, who came to Virginia in 1639; as did Elizabeth Stiles in 1721.

Citations +

Smith, Eldson Coles, New Dictionary of American Family Names New York: Harper & Row, 1956. Print
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)