Bellefeulle History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
France
England

The name Bellefeulle has a long French heritage that first began in northwestern region of Brittany. The name is derived from when the family lived in the seigneurie of Belleville, which translates from the French as "beautiful town."

Early Origins of the Bellefeulle family

The surname Bellefeulle was first found in Normandy from Belleville or Bella Villa, near Dieppe, now called Belleville-sur-Mer. "Jean de Belleville took part in the third crusade; and Raoul de Belleville was one of the knights serving in the castle of Arques in 1419. This old Norman house is now represented by the Marquis de Belleville, who is seated at Pont-Tranquart near Dieppe." 1

"In England the name is often given Boleville. Robert de Boleville, in 1165, held two knight's fees of the Earl of Gloucester in Gloucestershire 2 and Godfrey de Bellavalle is mentioned in Essex 1194-1198 (Rot. Cur. Regis). Ralph de Bellaville, in the time of Richard I., was a benefactor of Vaudrey Abbey, Lincoln (Mon. i. 833), to which he gave some lands in Yorkshire. Nicholas de Bolevill and his wife Avicia held in Devon of the Honour of Gloucester 3. Nicholas de Bolleville was knight of the shire for Somerset in 1316 (Palgrave's Pari. Writs). Another Nicholas (perhaps father to the last), was among "the faithful nobles " summoned in 1238 by Henry III." 1

Early History of the Bellefeulle family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Bellefeulle research. Another 87 words (6 lines of text) covering the year 1744 is included under the topic Early Bellefeulle History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Bellefeulle Spelling Variations

Most surnames have experienced slight spelling changes. A son may not chose to spell his name the same way that his father did. Many were errors, many deliberate. During the early development of the French language, a person usually gave his version, phonetically, to a scribe, a priest, or a recorder. Prefixes or suffixes varied. They were optional as they passed through the centuries, or were adopted by different branches to signify either a political or religious adherence. Hence, there a many spelling variations of the name Bellefeulle, including Beleville, Belleville, Bellevill, Belevill, Belavill, Bellavill, Bellaville, Bellivill, Belivill, Belliville, Bailleuville, Baileuville, Baileuvile, Bailleuvill, Ballevall, Ballevalle, de Belleville, De Belleville, Bellefeul, Bellefeull and many more.

Early Notables of the Bellefeulle family

More information is included under the topic Early Bellefeulle Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Bellefeulle migration to Canada +

By 1643 there were only about 300 people in Quebec. Since immigration was slow, early marriage was desperately encouraged amongst the immigrants. The fur trade attracted migrants, both noble and commoner. 15,000 explorers left Montreal in the late 17th and 18th centuries. By 1675, there were 7000 French in Quebec. By the same year the Acadian presence in Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island had reached 500. In 1755, 10,000 French Acadians refused to take an oath of allegiance to England and were deported to Louisiana. The French founded Lower Canada, thus becoming one of the two great founding nations of Canada. The distinguished family name Bellefeulle has made significant contributions to the culture, arts, sciences and religion of France and New France. Amongst the settlers in North America with this distinguished name Bellefeulle were

Bellefeulle Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century

Louis Bellefeulle arrived from Angoumois in 1735 in Quebec

Citations +

Cleveland, Dutchess of The Battle Abbey Roll with some Account of the Norman Lineages. London: John Murray, Abermarle Street, 1889. Print. Volume 3 of 3
Liber Niger Scutarii ("Black Book of the Exchequer"), containing reports by county on feudal holdings in England in 1166 (reign of Henry II)
Testa de Nevill or "Liber Feodorum" or "Book of Fees," thought to have been written by Ralph de Nevill, for King John (1199–1216)