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The name Horncastel reached England in the great wave of migration following the Norman Conquest of 1066. The Horncastel family lived in Lincolnshire, as Lords of the Manor of Horncastle, from where they took their name.
The surname Horncastel 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 Horncastel research. Another 162 words (12 lines of text) covering the years 1120, 1278 and 1650 are included under the topic Early Horncastel History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Before the advent of the printing press and the first dictionaries, the English language was not standardized. Sound was what guided spelling in the Middle Ages, so one person's name was often recorded under several variations during a single lifetime. Spelling variations were common, even among the names of the most literate people. Known variations of the Horncastel family name include Horncastle, Horncassell, Horncastell, Horncasle, Horncasell, Horncastre and many more.
More information is included under the topic Early Horncastel Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
To escape the political and religious chaos of this era, thousands of English families began to migrate to the New World in search of land and freedom from religious and political persecution. The passage was expensive and the ships were dark, crowded, and unsafe; however, those who made the voyage safely were encountered opportunities that were not available to them in their homeland. Many of the families that reached the New World at this time went on to make important contributions to the emerging nations of the United States and Canada. Research into various historical records has revealed some of first members of the Horncastel family to immigrate North America: Robert Horncasell who landed in North America in 1670; as well as Richard Horncastle, listed in the New York Colonial muster rolls for 1759.