Dumbrell History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
The history of the Dumbrell family name begins after the Norman Conquest of 1066. They lived in Cheshire. The family was originally from Dumville, in the arrondisement of Lisieux in Normandy. "The family, who probably entered England at the Conquest, were resident in co. Chester from the time of Henry III. till the beginning of the XVIII. cent." 1
Early Origins of the Dumbrell family
The surname Dumbrell was first found in Cheshire where the family was originally of Donville in the arrondisement of Lisieux in Normandy. The family held estates at Thingwell in Cheshire in early times. One of the first records of the family was Adam de Dunville 1182, who witnessed a charter in Chester. 2
"In the reign of Richard II. this place was held by the Domvilles, from whom it passed, through the Hulses and the Troutbecks, to the ancestors of the Earl of Shrewsbury." 3
The Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 had only one entry for the family: Hugo de Donvile, or Donvil, Salop (Shropshire.) 4
Early History of the Dumbrell family
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Dumbrell research. Another 93 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1565, 1609, 1613, 1624, 1641, 1650, 1678, 1689, 1696, 1721, 1742, 1768, 1813 and 1833 are included under the topic Early Dumbrell History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Dumbrell Spelling Variations
Anglo-Norman names are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. When the Normans became the ruling people of England in the 11th century, they introduced a new language into a society where the main languages of Old and later Middle English had no definite spelling rules. These languages were more often spoken than written, so they blended freely with one another. Contributing to this mixing of tongues was the fact that medieval scribes spelled words according to sound, ensuring that a person's name would appear differently in nearly every document in which it was recorded. The name has been spelled Domvile, Domville, Donvill, Donville, Dunville and many more.
Early Notables of the Dumbrell family
Outstanding amongst the family at this time was Sir William Domville (1565-1624)
Silas Domville (1624-1678), was an English antiquary, the son of Silvanus Taylor, a committee-man for Herefordshire and 'a grand Oliverian,' born at Harley, near Much Wenlock, Shropshire, on 16 July 1624. "Although Wood calls him Domville or D'omville, it does not appear that Taylor...
Another 54 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Dumbrell Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Migration of the Dumbrell family to Ireland
Some of the Dumbrell family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 134 words (10 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Dumbrell migration to the United States +
For many English families, the political and religious disarray that plagued their homeland made the frontiers of the New World an attractive prospect. Thousands migrated, aboard cramped disease-ridden ships. They arrived sick, poor, and hungry, but were welcomed in many cases with far greater opportunity than at home in England. Many of these hardy settlers went on to make important contributions to the emerging nations in which they landed. Among early immigrants bearing the name Dumbrell or a variant listed above were:
Dumbrell Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
- Edward Dumbrell, who settled in Maryland in 1719
Dumbrell Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
- Alfred Dumbrell, aged 20, who landed in New York, NY in 1855 5
Dumbrell Settlers in United States in the 20th Century
- Edmund Dumbrell, aged 22, who landed in America, in 1918
- Harry Dumbrell, aged 18, who immigrated to the United States, in 1918
Dumbrell migration to Australia +
Emigration to
Australia followed the
First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:
Dumbrell Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
- Mary Dumbrell, English convict from Sussex, who was transported aboard the "Angelina" on April 25, 1844, settling in Van Diemen's Land, Australia 6
Contemporary Notables of the name Dumbrell (post 1700) +
- George Dumbrell (1906-1990), English professional footballer who played as a full back and centre forward (1923-1938)
- Lesley Dumbrell (b. 1941), Australian artist from Melbourne, known for her precise abstract geometric paintings
- Scott Dumbrell (b. 1961), Australian archer who competed in the men's individual event at the 1980 Summer Olympics
- William John Dumbrell (1926-2016), Australian biblical scholar
- Paul Dumbrell (b. 1982), Australian business executive and racing driver from Melbourne, Victoria
The Dumbrell 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: Qui stat caveat ne cadat
Motto Translation: Let him who standeth take heed lest he fall.
Citations +
- Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
- 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)
- Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
- 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)
- State Library of Queensland. (Retrieved 2014, November 27) Angelina voyage to Van Diemen's Land, Australia in 1844 with 171 passengers. Retrieved from http://www.convictrecords.com.au/ships/angelina/1844