Coul History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
The Pictish clans of ancient Scotland were the ancestors of the first people to use the name Coul. It comes from in Coull, a parish, in the district of Kincardine O'Neil, county of Aberdeen. "This place is supposed to have taken its name, which signifies a "corner," from its situation in the south-eastern extremity of the district of Cromar." 1
Early Origins of the Coul family
The surname Coul was first found in Aberdeenshire (Gaelic: Siorrachd Obar Dheathain), where one of the first records of the family was "William de Cull [who] was one of the witnesses to a charter by John, Earl of Huntington to Norman filius Malcolm of the lands of Lesslyn etc., between 1219-1237." 2
Coull Castle was an 13th-century castle to the south of Coull. Only traces of the castle can be found today.
Some of the first records of the family in Scotland include: John Cowl who possessed a tenement in Glasgow in 1458, and Sir John Cowill, a cleric, was witness in Aberdeen, 1567. Patrick Coule at Newburgh is mentioned in the Lindores Chartulary in 1479. David Cowle, a native of Scotland, had letters of naturalization in England in 1481, and in the same year Alexander Coule was admitted burgess of Aberdeen." 2
Further south in northern England, the Lay Subsidy Rolls of 1332 listed John de Couhill, of Rishton, Lancashire; and John de Coule, of Blackburn, Lancashire, 1332. 3
"The Cowells of Lancashire probably take their name from Cowhill, a district and seat in Lancashire." 4
Early History of the Coul family
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Coul research. Another 173 words (12 lines of text) covering the years 1219, 1479, 1481, 1554, 1567, 1570 and 1611 are included under the topic Early Coul History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Coul Spelling Variations
Translation has done much to alter the appearance of many Scottish names. It was a haphazard process that lacked a basic system of rules. Spelling variations were a common result of this process. Coul has appeared Coull, Coul, Cowill, Cowell, Cull, Cowles, Cowl, Cowle and many more.
Early Notables of the Coul family
Another 27 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Coul Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Coul 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:
Coul Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century
- Mr. T. Coul, British settler travelling from Gravesend aboard the ship "Warrior Queen" arriving in Port Chalmers, Dunedin, Otago, South Island, New Zealand on 25th February 1871 5
- Mrs. Coul, British settler with 3 children travelling from Gravesend aboard the ship "Warrior Queen" arriving in Port Chalmers, Dunedin, Otago, South Island, New Zealand on 25th February 1871 5
- Mr. W. Coul, British settler travelling from Gravesend aboard the ship "Warrior Queen" arriving in Port Chalmers, Dunedin, Otago, South Island, New Zealand on 25th February 1871 5
- Mrs. Coul, British settler travelling from Gravesend aboard the ship "Warrior Queen" arriving in Port Chalmers, Dunedin, Otago, South Island, New Zealand on 25th February 1871 5
- Miss Coul, British settler travelling from Gravesend aboard the ship "Warrior Queen" arriving in Port Chalmers, Dunedin, Otago, South Island, New Zealand on 25th February 1871 5
- ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
The Coul 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: Cole Deum
Motto Translation: Worship God.
Citations +
- Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of Scotland. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
- Black, George F., The Surnames of Scotland Their Origin, Meaning and History. New York: New York Public Library, 1946. Print. (ISBN 0-87104-172-3)
- Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
- Guppy, Henry Brougham, Homes of Family Names in Great Britain. 1890. Print.
- New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 26th March 2019). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html