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Tisdall History Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables

Contemporary Notables Related Stories Citations

Tisdall History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

The ancestry of the name Tisdall dates from the ancient Anglo-Saxon culture of Britain. It comes from when the family lived in the area known as Teesdale found in the counties of Durham and the North Riding of Yorkshire. Tisdall is a topographic surname, which was given to a person who resided near a physical feature such as a hill, stream, church, or type of tree. During the Middle Ages, as society became more complex, individuals needed a way to be distinguishable from others. Toponymic surnames were developed as a result of this need. Various features in the landscape were used to distinguish people from one another. In this case the original bearers of the surname Tisdall were named due to their close proximity to the river Tees, which flowed between Yorkshire and Durham.

Early Origins of the Tisdall family

The surname Tisdall was first found in Durham where Walter de Tesedale was listed 1235-1236. A few years later, Mariota de Tesdale was found in the Subsidy Rolls for Cumberland (Cumbria) in 1332 and later again, Thomas Tesdall was listed in the Subsidy Rolls for Sussex in 1525. 1

The Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 included William tie Tesedal, Yorkshire. Henry de Tesdale was Prior of Finchale in 1295. The source History and Antiquities of the County Palatine of Durham included Hugh de Tesedale, 1350 and later the Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379 included Johannes de Tesedale. 2

Early History of the Tisdall family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Tisdall research. Another 82 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1547, 1556, 1563, 1570, 1579, 1581, 1610, 1613, 1646, 1669, 1706, 1711 and 1735 are included under the topic Early Tisdall History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Tisdall Spelling Variations

Spelling variations in names were a common occurrence before English spelling was standardized a few hundred years ago. In the Middle Ages, even the literate spelled their names differently as the English language incorporated elements of French, Latin, and other European languages. Many variations of the name Tisdall have been found, including Teasdale, Tisdale, Tisdell, Teesdale, Tisdall and others.

Early Notables of the Tisdall family

Notables of the family at this time include

William Tisdale or Tisdall (born circa 1570), an English musician and composer

Migration of the Tisdall family to Ireland

Some of the Tisdall family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 113 words (8 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Tisdall migration to the United States +

Families began migrating abroad in enormous numbers because of the political and religious discontent in England. Often faced with persecution and starvation in England, the possibilities of the New World attracted many English people. Although the ocean trips took many lives, those who did get to North America were instrumental in building the necessary groundwork for what would become for new powerful nations. Some of the first immigrants to cross the Atlantic and come to North America bore the name Tisdall, or a variant listed above:

Tisdall Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Sherley Tisdall, who arrived in Virginia in 1701 3
Charles Tisdall, who settled in Virginia in 1730

Tisdall Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Fitzgerald Tisdall, who landed in New York, NY in 1835 3
Arthur Tisdall, aged 35, who immigrated to the United States from London, in 1892
J. Tisdall, aged 38, who landed in America from London, in 1892
Arthur J. Tisdall, aged 29, who settled in America from London, in 1893

Tisdall Settlers in United States in the 20th Century

Michael Tisdall, aged 21, who landed in America from Portarlington, in 1900
Nellie Tisdall, aged 40, who settled in America from Manchester, England, in 1908
Nellie Tisdall, aged 40, who landed in America from Pendleton, England, in 1908
James J. Tisdall, aged 22, who immigrated to America from Dublin, Ireland, in 1908
Lilly Frances Tisdall, aged 42, who landed in America from Greystones, Ireland, in 1914
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Tisdall migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Tisdall Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

M. C. L. Tisdall, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Owen Glendowner" in 1864
F. A. Tisdall, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Owen Glendowner" in 1864

Contemporary Notables of the name Tisdall (post 1700) +

Jonathan Tisdall (b. 1958), American chess grandmaster
William St. Clair Tisdall (1859-1928), British historian and philologist
Margaret Tisdall (1905-1979), Irish singer and pianist known by stage name Peggy Dell
Frederick Tisdall (1893-1949), Canadian pediatrician who developed the infant cereal Pablum
Charles Edward Tisdall (1866-1936), Canadian politician, 19th mayor of Vancouver
Robert "Bob" Morton Newburgh Tisdall (1907-2004), Irish Olympic gold medalist
Arthur Walderne St. Clair Tisdall VC (1890-1915), British recipient of the Victoria Cross

Citations +

Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)