Boxnel History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

The name Boxnel first arose amongst the Anglo-Saxon tribes of Britain. It is derived from their having lived in Boxhulle, in Sussex, or in Boxwell, in Gloucestershire. While most sources claim the Sussex location is the point of origin, Bardsley believes "this surname is derived from a geographical locality. 'of Boxwell,' a parish in Gloucestershire, six miles from Tetbury." 1

Early Origins of the Boxnel family

The surname Boxnel was first found in Sussex at Boxhulle, "an ancient manor in Salehurst, among whose lords was Alan de Boxall, one of the earliest Knights of the Garter. " 2

"This name is clearly traced to Boxhulle, an ancient manor in Salehurst, co. Sussex, among whose lords was Alan de Buxhall, one of the earliest Knights of the Garter. In this same county the name has been queerly varied to Boxall, Boxsell, Buckshell, Baxhall." 2

Sir Alan Buxhall (1323-1381), Constable of the Tower. He was the "son of Alan Bokeshull, or Buxhull, the tenant in capite of a messuage now known as Bugzell, in the parish of Salehurst, Sussex and of other lands in the same county, and who also held the manor and church of Bryanstone, in Dorsetshire, all of which were, upon his death in 1325, inherited by his son Alan, then an infant two years old." 3

Early History of the Boxnel family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Boxnel research. Another 86 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1280, 1542, 1571, 1855, 1882, 1927 and 1945 are included under the topic Early Boxnel History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Boxnel Spelling Variations

One relatively recent invention that did much to standardize English spelling was the printing press. However, before its invention even the most literate people recorded their names according to sound rather than spelling. The spelling variations under which the name Boxnel has appeared include Boxall, Buckshell, Boockshell, Boxull, Boxell, Boxhulle, Boxhall, Baxhall, Boxnell, Baxull, Boxsell, Bochshall and many more.

Early Notables of the Boxnel family

Distinguished members of the family include Sir Allan Boxall of Salehurst; and John Boxall (died 1571), an English churchman and Secretary of State to Mary I of England...
Another 27 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Boxnel Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Boxnel family

At this time, the shores of the New World beckoned many English families that felt that the social climate in England was oppressive and lacked opportunity for change. Thousands left England at great expense in ships that were overcrowded and full of disease. A great portion of these settlers never survived the journey and even a greater number arrived sick, starving, and without a penny. The survivors, however, were often greeted with greater opportunity than they could have experienced back home. These English settlers made significant contributions to those colonies that would eventually become the United States and Canada. An examination of early immigration records and passenger ship lists revealed that people bearing the name Boxnel arrived in North America very early: James Boxall who arrived in Philadelphia in 1838; another James arrived 5 years later.

Citations +

Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print