Turbervile History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

The Norman Conquest of England in 1066 added many new elements to an already vibrant culture. Among these were thousands of new names. The Turbervile family lived in Breconshire, Wales. Their name, however, is a reference to Turberville, Normandy, the family's place of residence prior to the Norman Conquest of England in 1066. 1

Coity Castle (Welsh: Castell Coety) in Glamorgan, Wales is a Norman castle built by Sir Payn "the Demon" de Turberville (fl. 1126), one of the legendary Twelve Knights of Glamorgan.

Crickhowell Castle in Crickhowell, Wales (now in ruins) was initially a motte and bailey castle built from around 1121, probably by Robert Turberville, a tenant of the Marcher lord Bernard de Neufmarché.

Early Origins of the Turbervile family

The surname Turbervile was first found in Breconshire where they were granted lands by William the Conqueror for their assistance at the Battle of Hastings in 1066 A.D. One of the first records of the surname was William de Turbeville (William Turbe), (c. 1095-1174), a medieval Bishop of Norwich.

"Within thirty years after the Conquest, Sir Payn de Turbervill accompanied Sir Robert Fitz-Hamon, to the aid of Jestin-ap-Gwrgant, King of Glamorgan, against Rhys, Prince of South Wales. Subsequently, on the death of Rhys, Fitz-Hamon, turning his forces against Jestin, and conquering his whole dominion, divided it amongst his followers. To the share of Sir Payn de Turberville were allotted the castle and lordship of Coyty, and then was established in Wales the great house of Turbevill, seated at Coyty, Tythegstone, Penbline, Lantwitt Major, and Ewenny Abbey. 2

"William de Troublevilla occurs in the Norman Exchequer Rolls of 1180-95. Payne de Turbeville witnessed the foundation charter of Neath Abbey, temp. Henry I. Hence the Turbevilles of Glamorgan and Brecon. William de Turbeville was of Dorset 1130; and in 1165 there were branches in York, Norfolk, Dorset, and Wilts." 1

An important branch of the family was found at Anstey in Wiltshire in early times. "Here was a commandery of the Knights Hospitallers, founded by Walter de Tuberville in the reign of John." 3

Later, Sir Henry de Turberville, Trubbeville, Trubleville (died 1239) was a noted English soldier and seneschal of Gascony from 1226 to 1231. A Devon man, he was reappointed seneschal of Gascony on 23 May 1234 and held the position until November 1238. He was known as strong fighter for the cause. 4

According to legend, a ghostly coach crosses the bridge by Woolbridge Manor near Wool, Dorset at night, but only those with Turberville blood can see it. One version claims the coach contains the ghosts of John Turberville of Woolbridge and Anne, the daughter of Thomas Howard, 1st Viscount Howard of Bindon on their elopement.

The d'Urberville family in Thomas Hardy's novel Tess of the d'Urbervilles, was based on the mediaeval Turberville family of Bere Regis, Dorset.

Early History of the Turbervile family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Turbervile research. Another 134 words (10 lines of text) covering the years 1540, 1549, 1555, 1559, 1568, 1570, 1597, 1612, 1648, 1678, 1681 and 1696 are included under the topic Early Turbervile History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Turbervile Spelling Variations

Norman surnames are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. The frequent changes in surnames are largely due to the fact that the Old and Middle English languages lacked definite spelling rules. The introduction of Norman French to England, as well as the official court languages of Latin and French, also had pronounced influences on the spelling of surnames. Since medieval scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded, rather than adhering to any specific spelling rules, it was common to find the same individual referred to with different spellings. The name has been spelled Turbeyfield, Turberfield, Turbervile, Turbervill, Turberville and many more.

Early Notables of the Turbervile family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was

George Turberville, or Turbervile (1540 -1597), an English poet, second son of Nicholas Turberville of Whitchurch, Dorset, the same Dorset family, the D'Urbervilles of Mr Thomas Hardy's novel, Tess of...
Edward Turberville or Turbervile (c. 1648-1681), was a Welsh informer, who perjured himself in support of the alleged Popish Plot. James Turberville (or Turbervyle) (died 1559) born at Bere Regis in D...
Edward Turberville or Turbervile (c. 1648-1681) was a Welsh professional soldier, known to history as an informer who perjured himself in support of the allegations made during the fictitious Popish P...

Migration of the Turbervile family

Many English families emigrated to North American colonies in order to escape the political chaos in Britain at this time. Unfortunately, many English families made the trip to the New World under extremely harsh conditions. Overcrowding on the ships caused the majority of the immigrants to arrive diseased, famished, and destitute from the long journey across the stormy Atlantic. Despite these hardships, many of the families prospered and went on to make invaluable contributions to the development of the cultures of the United States and Canada. Early North American immigration records have revealed a number of people bearing the name Turbervile or a variant listed above: Mr. Turberville who landed in America in 1670.

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)
Burke, John Bernard, The Roll of Battle Abbey. London: Edward Churton, 26, Holles Street, 1848, Print.
Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print