Ashfull History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland
Scotland

The name Ashfull is of Anglo-Saxon origin and came from when the family lived in Ashfield, which means the open field with ash trees. It is a place-name appearing in Lancashire, and is were the family originated, though they became centered in Suffolk.

Early Origins of the Ashfull family

The surname Ashfull was first found in Suffolk, at Ashfield, which dates back to the Domesday Book of 1086 when it was listed there as Assefelda. 1 Great Ashfield, Suffolk was also listed there as Eascefelda. 2

To complicate matters more, Ashfield is revival of an ancient village originally named Esfeld in 1216. It is now a local government district in western Nottinghamshire formed in 1974.

And today, Ashfield is a suburb in the Inner West of Sydney, in New South Wales, Australia. This latter local was established shortly after the First Fleet arrival in 1788.

Early History of the Ashfull family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Ashfull research. Another 95 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1506, 1559, 1560, 1569, 1570, 1576, 1578, 1599, 1604, 1620, 1660 and 1690 are included under the topic Early Ashfull History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Ashfull Spelling Variations

It is only in the last few hundred years that the English language has been standardized. For that reason, early Anglo-Saxon surnames like Ashfull are characterized by many spelling variations. As the English language changed and incorporated elements of other European languages, even literate people changed the spelling of their names. Scribes and monks in the Middle Ages spelled names they sounded, so it is common to find several variations that refer to a single person. The variations of the name Ashfull include: Ashfield, Ashfields and others.

Early Notables of the Ashfull family

Distinguished members of the family include Sir Edmund Ashfield (c. 1506-1578) of Ewelme, Oxfordshire, an English politician, High Sheriff of Berkshire and Oxfordshire (1559-1560), High Sheriff of Bedfordshire and Buckinghamshire (1569-1570.) Edmund Ashfield (1576-c. 1620), was an English Catholic from Tattenhoe in Buckinghamshire. In 1599 he travelled to Edinburgh to meet James VI of Scotland. He was mistakenly kidnapped by the English Ambassador from England in the belief that Ashfield was an agent of James VI and working to further his succession to...
Another 82 words (6 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Ashfull Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Ashfull family to Ireland

Some of the Ashfull family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt. More information about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Ashfull family

Many English families tired of political and religious strife left Britain for the new colonies in North America. Although the trip itself offered no relief - conditions on the ships were extremely cramped, and many travelers arrived diseased, starving, and destitute - these immigrants believed the opportunities that awaited them were worth the risks. Once in the colonies, many of the families did indeed prosper and, in turn, made significant contributions to the culture and economies of the growing colonies. An inquiry into the early roots of North American families has revealed a number of immigrants bearing the name Ashfull or a variant listed above: James Ashfield settled in Virginia in 1636; John Ashfield settled in West New Jersey in 1664; and Henry Ashfield settled in Maryland in 1776.

Citations +

Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)