Blakewel History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

In ancient Anglo-Saxon England, the ancestors of the Blakewel surname lived at one of two places called Blackwell, one near a parish in Derbyshire near Alfreton, and the other a township in the parish of Darlington, Durham having derived from the Old English words bloec, which means black and woell, which means spring or stream. 1

Early Origins of the Blakewel family

The surname Blakewel was first found in Derbyshire where they held a family seat from very ancient times. 2 "Blackwell is an old Gloucestershire surname, perhaps originally derived from the parish of Blackwell in the neighbouring county of Worcester." 3 The Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 had only one listing for the family: Margery de Blacwelle in Cambridgeshire. 4

Early History of the Blakewel family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Blakewel research. Another 138 words (10 lines of text) covering the years 1120, 1545, 1597, 1599, 1608, 1613, 1615, 1618, 1641, 1648, 1659, 1660, 1674, 1683, 1699, 1701, 1728, 1730, 1753 and 1757 are included under the topic Early Blakewel History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Blakewel 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 Blakewel 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. The variations of the name Blakewel include: Blackwell, Blackwall, Blackwill, Blackwel, Blaikewell, Blakewell, Blakewill, Blakewall, Blaikewall, Blakwill, Blackville, Blaikville, Blakeville, Bleckwell, Bleckwall, Bleckville, Plackwell, Plakewell, Plackville, Blatwell, Blatswill, Platwill and many more.

Early Notables of the Blakewel family

Notables of the family at this time include Father George Blackwell, (1545?-1613), Roman Catholic Archpriest of England from 1597-1608; Isaac Blackwell (d.1699) English Cathedral organist and composer at St. Paul's Cathedral; and Edward Backwell (ca. 1618-1683), an English goldsmith, financier, and politician, often referred to as "the principal founder of the banking system in England." Anthony Blackwall (1674-1730), was an English classical scholar, "born at Blackwall, a hamlet...
Another 66 words (5 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Blakewel Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Blakewel family to Ireland

Some of the Blakewel family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 130 words (9 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Blakewel 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 Blakewel or a variant listed above: Jeremy Blackwell who settled in Boston Massachusetts in 1635; Roger Blackwell settled in Virginia in 1636; John Blackwell settled in Quebec in 1825 with his family.

Citations +

Smith, Eldson Coles, New Dictionary of American Family Names New York: Harper & Row, 1956. Print
Barber, Henry, British Family Names London: Elliot Stock, 62 Paternoster Row, 1894. Print.
Guppy, Henry Brougham, Homes of Family Names in Great Britain. 1890. Print.
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)