Chile History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

The ancestors of the bearers of the Chile family name are thought have lived in ancient Anglo-Saxon England. They were first found in Chishall, two parishes in the county of Essex. It is from the place-name that the family name is derived. Today, Fort Chiswell is located in Wythe County, Virginia, United States and was originally a frontier fort built in 1758 during the French and Indian War; and the Chiswell Islands are a group of rocky, uninhabited islands in the Gulf of Alaska. Unfortunately, the reason for the named locations has been lost.

Early Origins of the Chile family

The surname Chile was first found in Essex at either Great Chishall or Little Chishall, both in the union of Royston, hundred of Uttlesford. 1 Chiswell Green is a village, in St Albans, Hertfordshire which dates back to 1782. The name was thought to have been derived from "the gravelly spring or stream" from the Old English "cis" + "wella" + "green." 2

One of the first records of the family was John de Chishull (d. 1280), Bishop of London, "probably born in Essex in the village of Chishall, between Royston and Saffron from which he doubtless took his name. A branch of his family was afterwards settled at Bardfield in the same county. In 1252 he was appointed rector of Isleham in Cambridgeshire, and in 1256 he received from the king the church of Upwell in Norfolk. Previously to 1262 he had become Archdeacon of London, and in that year acted as executor for Bishop Wingham." 3

Early History of the Chile family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Chile research. Another 82 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1639, 1670, 1671, 1673, 1711, 1733 and 1751 are included under the topic Early Chile History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Chile Spelling Variations

Until quite recently, the English language has lacked a definite system of spelling rules. Consequently, Anglo-Saxon surnames are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. Changes in Anglo-Saxon names were influenced by the evolution of the English language, as it incorporated elements of French, Latin, and other languages. Although Medieval scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded, so it is common to find one person referred to by several different spellings of his surname, even the most literate people varied the spelling of their own names. Variations of the name Chile include Chiswell, Chissell, Chishull, Chussell and others.

Early Notables of the Chile family

Distinguished members of the family include Robert Muilman French-Chiswell; and Richard Chiswell (1673-1751), a wealthy English merchant and politician, Director of the Bank of England. Edmund Chishull (1671-1733), was an English divine and antiquary, son of Paul Chishull, born at Eyworth, Bedfordshire, 22 March 1670-1671. 3 Richard Chiswell the Elder (1639-1711), ''who...
Another 50 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Chile Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Chile family

Searching for a better life, many English families migrated to British colonies. Unfortunately, the majority of them traveled under extremely harsh conditions: overcrowding on the ships caused the majority of the immigrants to arrive diseased, famished, and destitute from the long journey across the ocean. For those families that arrived safely, modest prosperity was attainable, and many went on to make invaluable contributions to the development of the cultures of the new colonies. Research into the origins of individual families in North America revealed records of the immigration of a number of people bearing the name Chile or a variant listed above: James Chisel, who settled in Philadelphia in 1838.

Citations +

Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print