Blondel History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
The ancestors of the Blondel family brought their name to England in the wave of migration after the Norman Conquest of 1066. They lived in Lancashire. Other records show the name could have been derived from the nickname Blondel or Blundel which means the blonde or blond haired person. However, the Blondel spelling less common than the Blundell spelling and its variants.
Early Origins of the Blondel family
The surname Blondel was first found in Lancashire where they were granted lands at Ince by William the Conqueror in 1066 A.D. William Blundell or Blondell, Lord of Ince, held three knight's fees. 1
"The manor [of Birkdale in Lancashire], in the reign of Henry IV., was held by the Halsalls; and the Gerards of Bromley became possessed of the estate by purchase, in the 17th century: from the latter it passed to the Mordaunts, and from them to the Blundell family." 2
One of the first records of the family was that of Robert Blundell, rector of the church of St. Michael, Aughton, Lancashire in 1246. 3
Ince Blundell, in Lancashire was the ancient family seat. "The Blundells are said to have been lords of the manor from the time of the Conquest, and William Blundell is mentioned as having a seat here in the reign of Henry III. In the midst of Ince-Blundell park is the Hall, the family seat of the Blundells, a large handsome mansion with stone dressings, at the eastern angle of which is a building called "The Pantheon," erected by the late Henry Blundell, Esq., and precisely similar in its architecture and proportions to the Pantheon at Rome, but one-third less. The building contains a splendid collection of paintings, statuary, sarcophagi, urns, and other relics of antiquity, procured by the founder, and said to be unequalled by any similar collection in the kingdom: there are upwards of 360 statues, busts, and basso-relievos in this temple of the arts. " 2
"One of the Blundells settled in Bedfordshire, where the name is found in a list of the principal gentry of the county in the time of Henry VI. Fuller, in quoting this catalogue from an ancient record, says, 'Hungry Time has made a glutton's meal on this catalogue of gentry, and hath left but a little morsel, for manners, remaining; so few of these are found extant in this shire, and fewer continuing in genteel equipage; among whom I must not forget the family of the Blundells, whereof Sir Edward Blundell behaved himself right valiantly in the unfortunate expedition to the isle of Roe.' This was the expedition to the isle of Rhee, under the Duke of Buckingham. The family thence migrated to Ireland. " 4
Early History of the Blondel family
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Blondel research. Another 141 words (10 lines of text) covering the years 1155, 1276, 1520, 1523, 1579, 1601, 1604, 1620, 1625, 1643, 1692, 1707, 1711 and 1734 are included under the topic Early Blondel History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Blondel Spelling Variations
Before the last few hundred years the English language had no fixed system of spelling rules. For that reason, spelling variations occurred commonly in Anglo Norman surnames. Over the years, many variations of the name Blondel were recorded, including Blundell, Blondell, Blondle, Blundle and others.
Early Notables of the Blondel family
Outstanding amongst the family at this time was
- James Augustus Blondel (d. 1734), was a French-born, physician from Paris, and received his medical education at Leyden. "He settled as a physician in London, and was admitted licentiate of the Colleg...
Blondel Ranking
In France, the name Blondel is the 265th most popular surname with an estimated 14,287 people with that name. 5
Migration of the Blondel family to Ireland
Some of the Blondel family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 51 words (4 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Blondel migration to the United States +
The unstable environment in England at this time caused numerous families to board ships and leave in search of opportunity and freedom from persecution abroad in places like Ireland, Australia, and particularly the New World. The voyage was extremely difficult, however, and only taken at great expense. The cramped conditions and unsanitary nature of the vessels caused many to arrive diseased and starving, not to mention destitute from the enormous cost. Still opportunity in the emerging nations of Canada and the United States was far greater than at home and many went on to make important contributions to the cultures of their adopted countries. An examination of many early immigration records reveals that people bearing the name Blondel arrived in North America very early:
Blondel Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
- Henry Blondel who settled in Louisiana in 1756
Blondel Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
- Peter Blondel, who landed in New York in 1825 6
Blondel migration to Canada +
Some of the first settlers of this family name were:
Blondel Settlers in Canada in the 17th Century
- Claude Blondel, who arrived in Canada in 1642
- Mr. Charles Blondel, French settler travelling to Canada for work arriving on 14th April 1642 7
- Mr. Pierre Blondel, French settler travelling to Canada for work arriving on 20th May 1643 7
Blondel 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:
Blondel Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century
- Mary A. Blondel, who arrived in Nelson, New Zealand aboard the ship "Anne Longton" in 1860 8
- John Blondel, who arrived in Nelson, New Zealand aboard the ship "Anne Longton" in 1860 8
Contemporary Notables of the name Blondel (post 1700) +
- Charles Blondel (b. 1976), French psychologist
- Marc Blondel (1939-2014), French trade unionist, leader of the Workers' Force (1989-2004)
- Andre Blondel (1863-1938), French scientist and engineer
- Professor Jean Fernand Pierre Blondel, French-born, Executive Director of the European Consortium for Political Research since 1970
- Nicolas François Blondel (1618-1686), French military engineer
- Maurice Édouard Blondel (1861-1949), French Catholic philosopher, professor at the universities of Montauban, Lille, and Aix-Marseille
- Jorge Urrutia Blondel (b. 1905), Chilean professor of music and composer
Historic Events for the Blondel family +
- Mr. André Blondel (b. 1920), a.k.a "John Aston", French Electrical Artificer 4th Class serving for the Royal Navy from Picquigny, Somme, France, who sailed into battle and died in the HMS Hood sinking 9
- Mr. André Blondel (b. 1917), French Electrical Artificer 4th Class serving for the Royal Navy from Picquigny, Somme, France, who sailed into battle and died in the HMS Hood sinking 9
The Blondel 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: Unus et idem ferar
Motto Translation: I will be borne along one and the same.
Citations +
- Liber Niger Scutarii ("Black Book of the Exchequer"), containing reports by county on feudal holdings in England in 1166 (reign of Henry II)
- Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
- 'Townships: Scarisbrick', in A History of the County of Lancaster: Volume 3, ed. William Farrer and J Brownbill (London, 1907), pp. 265-276. British History Online http://www.british-history.ac.uk/vch/lancs/vol3/pp265-276 [accessed 21 January 2017].
- Cleveland, Dutchess of The Battle Abbey Roll with some Account of the Norman Lineages. London: John Murray, Abermarle Street, 1889. Print. Volume 1 of 3
- http://www.journaldesfemmes.com/nom-de-famille/nom/
- 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)
- Debien, Gabriel. Liste Des Engagés Pour Le Canada Au XVIIe Siècle. Vol. 6, Laval University, 1952. (Retreived 24th May 2018). Retrieved from https://lebloguedeguyperron.wordpress.com/2016/06/30/130-liste-des-contrats-dengagement-pour-la-nouvelle-france-releves-a-la-rochelle-entre-1634-et-1679/
- New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 17th October 2018). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
- H.M.S. Hood Association-Battle Cruiser Hood: Crew Information - H.M.S. Hood Rolls of Honour, Men Lost in the Sinking of H.M.S. Hood, 24th May 1941. (Retrieved 2016, July 15) . Retrieved from http://www.hmshood.com/crew/memorial/roh_24may41.htm