Moule History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
The English surname Moule is thought to have arisen independently from a few different sources. It comes from the medieval personal name, derived from the Old English word "mule," meaning a "halfbreed." This was the name of a brother of Ceadwalla, King of Wessex (died 675). It also comes from Old Norse "muli" meaning "muzzle," or "snout." And, it also came from the Middle English "mule," referring to the animal "mule;" in which instance it was likely originally a nickname for a stubborn person, or an occupational name for a driver of pack animals.
Early Origins of the Moule family
The surname Moule was first found in Devon where they held a family seat as Lords of the Manor. The Saxon influence of English history diminished after the Battle of Hastings in 1066. The language of the courts was French for the next three centuries and the Norman ambience prevailed. But Saxon surnames survived and the family name was first referenced in the 12th century when they held lands.
Early History of the Moule family
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Moule research. Another 86 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1455 and 1487 are included under the topic Early Moule History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Moule Spelling Variations
Spelling variations of this family name include: Mule, Mules and others.
Early Notables of the Moule family
More information is included under the topic Early Moule Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Moule migration to the United States +
Some of the first settlers of this family name were:
Moule Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
- Dorathy Moule, who landed in Virginia in 1657 1
Moule Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
- Edward Moule, a bonded passenger, who arrived in America in 1747
Moule migration to Australia +
Emigration to
Australia followed the
First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:
Moule Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
- Robert Moule, aged 27, a labourer, who arrived in South Australia in 1851 aboard the ship "Thetis" 2
Moule 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:
Moule Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century
- Stephen Moule, aged 26, a carpenter, who arrived in Otago aboard the ship "Lady Nugent" in 1850
Contemporary Notables of the name Moule (post 1700) +
- Charles Walter Moule (1834-1921), English academic, librarian and president of Corpus Christi College, Cambridge
- George Evans Moule (1828-1912), English Anglican missionary in China, the first Anglican bishop of mid-China
- Henry Joseph Moule (1825-1904), English watercolour artist
- Henry Moule (1801-1880), English priest in the Church of England and inventor of the dry earth closet
- Thomas Moule (1784-1851), English antiquarian, writer on heraldry, and map-maker
- Handley Moule (1841-1920), English cleric, writer and poet, Bishop of Durham from 1901-1920
- Charles Francis Digby Moule (b. 1908), English biblical scholar
- Harry George Moule (b. 1921), English former cricketer
- Aaron Moule (b. 1977), Australian rugby player
Historic Events for the Moule family +
Citations +
- 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 Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) THETIS 1851. Retrieved http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1851Thetis.htm
- HMAS Sydney II, Finding Sydney Foundation - Roll of Honour. (Retrieved 2014, April 24) . Retrieved from http://www.findingsydney.com/roll.asp