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The ancestors of the Horncasell family brought their name to England in the wave of migration after the Norman Conquest of 1066. They lived in Lincolnshire, as Lords of the Manor of Horncastle, from where they took their name.
The surname Horncasell was first found in Lincolnshire where they held a family seat as Lords of the Manor of Horncastle, anciently known as Horncastre. At the time of the taking of the Domesday Book, 1 a survey of England initiated by Duke William of Normandy in 1086 A.D., the village of Horncastle was held by the King as overlord and consisted of two Mills and a village. It stands on the site of the original Roman town of Banovallum, which still shows part of the walls and bastions. "Its present name is evidently a corruption of Hyrncastre, as it was denominated by the Saxons; from hyrn, an angle or corner (the town being situated within an angle formed by the confluence of the rivers Bane and Waring), and castrum, a fort or castle. " 2
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Horncasell research. Another 162 words (12 lines of text) covering the years 1120, 1278 and 1650 are included under the topic Early Horncasell History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
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 Horncasell were recorded, including Horncastle, Horncassell, Horncastell, Horncasle, Horncasell, Horncastre and many more.
More information is included under the topic Early Horncasell Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
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 Horncasell arrived in North America very early: