Thurvill History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

Thurvill is a name of ancient Norman origin. It arrived in England with the Norman Conquest of 1066. The Thurvill family lived in Leicestershire. Their name, however, is a reference to Turville-la-Champagne, Normandy and from Turville (one of nine Seigneuries that bear the name in Normandy) near Pont-Audemer. The name is "derived from Torf de Torfville, from whom descended Geoffrey de Turville 1124, who had grants from the Earl of Leicester and Mellent in England." 1

"Raoul de Tourneville is on the Dives Roll; and Roger de Turville held Weston-Turville, Bucks, of Bishop Odo 2. Another manor in the county is called from him Turville. In Leicestershire they are 'one of the ancientest families in the shire'; seated at Normanton-Turville from the time of Henry II., and still flourishing in a junior branch at Husbands Bosworth in the same county." 3

However, some believe the name is Anglo Saxon in origin, and meant 'dry field'. In the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle the name was recorded in 796 as Thyrefeld. Regardless of the origin, Ralph Turvill, a benefactor of the abbey of Leicester was the first record of the name in 1297.

Early Origins of the Thurvill family

The surname Thurvill was first found in Leicestershire where they held a family seat as Lords of the Manor of Herdebere, Pailington, Bedworth, Chelmscote, Fulbrooke, and Nuneaton. Normanton Turvile was their main seat. William de Turvile, a companion in arms of Duke William at the Battle of Hastings in 1066, was the first settler. William was descended from the Turville-la-Champagne, seated at Eure, at Amfreville-la-Champagne.

Another source has a slightly more romantic understanding of their origin: "from which of the ten Seigniories of Tourville in the Duchy of Normandy the English Turviles came, cannot now he ascertained. Certain it is that William de Tourville accompanied Duke William to Hastings, and that soon after the Conquest, the Tourvilles became extensive proprietors in the counties of Warwick and Leicester, giving in the latter their name to the manor of Normanton Turvile." 4

In Buckinghamshire, the manor of Turville once belonged to the abbey at St Albans, but was seized by the Crown in the Dissolution of the Monasteries in 1547. The manor house has since been rebuilt as Turville Park, a fine stately home in the village of Turville. Geoffrey de Turville or de Tourville (died 1250) was an English-born judge and cleric in thirteenth-century Ireland, who held office as Bishop of Ossory and Lord Chancellor of Ireland. A native of Turville in Buckinghamshire, he claimed descendancy through Geoffrey de Turville (c.1122-1177), Lord of the Manor of Weston Turville.

Early History of the Thurvill family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Thurvill research. Another 196 words (14 lines of text) covering the years 1122, 1177, 1235, 1250, 1277, 1288, 1289, 1291, 1293, 1296, 1297, 1315 and 1400 are included under the topic Early Thurvill History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Thurvill Spelling Variations

Multitudes of spelling variations are a hallmark of Anglo Norman names. Most of these names evolved in the 11th and 12th century, in the time after the Normans introduced their own Norman French language into a country where Old and Middle English had no spelling rules and the languages of the court were French and Latin. To make matters worse, medieval scribes spelled words according to sound, so names frequently appeared differently in the various documents in which they were recorded. The name was spelled Turvile, Turville, Tourville, Tourvile, Turvell, Turvill, Turvil and many more.

Early Notables of the Thurvill family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was William de Turvile, of Weston Turville, Buckinghamshire, High Sheriff of Bedfordshire and Buckinghamshire in 1288 and later in 1291. Later Nicolas de Trimenel or de Turvile was High Sheriff in 1293. Robert Turvile was a Knights Templar and was Master of the Temple of...
Another 52 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Thurvill Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Thurvill family

Because of this political and religious unrest within English society, many people decided to immigrate to the colonies. Families left for Ireland, North America, and Australia in enormous numbers, travelling at high cost in extremely inhospitable conditions. The New World in particular was a desirable destination, but the long voyage caused many to arrive sick and starving. Those who made it, though, were welcomed by opportunities far greater than they had known at home in England. Many of these families went on to make important contributions to the emerging nations of Canada and the United States. Analysis of immigration records indicates that some of the first North American immigrants bore the name Thurvill or a variant listed above: Ann Turvel who landed in North America in 1771.

The Thurvill Motto +

The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.

Motto: Virtus semper eadem
Motto Translation: Virtue is always the same.

Citations +

The Norman People and Their Existing Descendants in the British Dominions and the United States Of America. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing, 1975. Print. (ISBN 0-8063-0636-X)
Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
Cleveland, Dutchess of The Battle Abbey Roll with some Account of the Norman Lineages. London: John Murray, Abermarle Street, 1889. Print. Volume 3 of 3
Burke, John Bernard, The Roll of Battle Abbey. London: Edward Churton, 26, Holles Street, 1848, Print.