Contents [hide]

Colwell History Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables Ranking

Ireland United States Canada Australia New Zealand

Contemporary Notables Historic Events Related Stories Citations

Colwell History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland
Scotland

Colwell is one of the names that was brought to England in the wave of migration following the Norman Conquest of 1066. The Colwell family lived in Colton. There are places named Colton in Staffordshire and Norfolk. The family claim descent from Gilbert de Colleville, who lived in Coleville, a town in Normandy.

Early Origins of the Colwell family

The surname Colwell was first found in Suffolk, where they held a family seat from early times. They were descended from Gilbert de Colleville (Colavilla, Colvile) from Coleville, a town between Caen and Bayeux in Normandy. He accompanied Duke William from Normandy and had two sons. 1

From Gilbert and William the English Barons of Colleville are descended. William held lands in Yorkshire. His eldest son Phillip acquired the lands of Ancroft in Northumberland, and from him are descended the Lords of Colville in Scotland.

Searching other records, we found Thomas de Colevill who was listed as a witness to many documents in the late 1100s, as well as being mentioned in a perambulation of the marches of Elstaneshalche in 1181. A Thomas de Colouilla, who may or may not be the same man, was charged with treason in 1211. 2

In Scotland, Ada de Coleuyll generously gave the lands of Kynnard in Fife to the monks of the Abbey of Neubotle in 1241 and Thomas de Coleville, who lived in Dumfriesshire rendered homage to King Edward I on his invasion of Scotland in 1296. Robert de Colvylle of Scotland was rewarded for extreme courage and steady obedience in 1358; he was granted an annuity of 20 marks from the customs of Kingston on Hulle. 3

Richard de Collewele was listed in the Assize Rolls of Somerset in 1268 and Robert de Kolewell was listed in the Subsidy Rolls of Sussex in 1296. 2

Early History of the Colwell family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Colwell research. Another 101 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1174, 1296, 1337, 1358, 1377, 1384, 1385, 1390, 1393, 1394, 1540, 1551, 1604, 1605, 1629, 1662, 1675, 1690, 1813, 1871 and 1898 are included under the topic Early Colwell History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Colwell Spelling Variations

Before the advent of the printing press and the first dictionaries, the English language was not standardized. Sound was what guided spelling in the Middle Ages, so one person's name was often recorded under several variations during a single lifetime. Spelling variations were common, even among the names of the most literate people. Known variations of the Colwell family name include Colville, Coleville, Colevile, Colwell, Colwill, Collwell, Collwill, Colewell, Colewill, Caulville, Caulwell and many more.

Early Notables of the Colwell family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was Sir John Colville (c.1337-1394), of Newton, Cambridgeshire and Walsoken, Norfolk, Member of the Parliament for Cambridgeshire in 1377, 1384, 1385, 1390 and 1393; John Colville (c.1540-1605), a Scottish clergyman, judge, politician and author who was implicated in the Earl of Bothwell's attack on Holyrood Palace, and was outlawed with the earl, he died in exile in Paris; James Colville (1551-1629), 1st Lord Colville of Culross in 1604; William Colvill, (Colville) (died 1675), a Scottish clergyman and scholar and was the Principal of the University of Edinburgh (1662 to 1675); Daniel Colwall (died 1690)...
Another 112 words (8 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Colwell Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Colwell Ranking

In the United States, the name Colwell is the 3,691^st most popular surname with an estimated 7,461 people with that name. 4

Migration of the Colwell family to Ireland

Some of the Colwell 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.

Colwell migration to the United States +

To escape the political and religious chaos of this era, thousands of English families began to migrate to the New World in search of land and freedom from religious and political persecution. The passage was expensive and the ships were dark, crowded, and unsafe; however, those who made the voyage safely were encountered opportunities that were not available to them in their homeland. Many of the families that reached the New World at this time went on to make important contributions to the emerging nations of the United States and Canada. Research into various historical records has revealed some of first members of the Colwell family to immigrate North America:

Colwell Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Samuel Colwell, who settled in New England in 1678

Colwell Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Peter Colwell, who landed in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1746 5
Ufan Colwell, who settled in New York in 1751
Robert Colwell, who settled in Boston Massachusetts in 1768

Colwell Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Patrick Colwell, aged 24, who arrived in Louisiana in 1812 5
Wiley Colwell, who arrived in Texas in 1835 5
William Colwell, who landed in Texas in 1835 5
R A Colwell, who landed in San Francisco, California in 1850 5
Hamilton Colwell, aged 22, who landed in New York, NY in 1893 5

Colwell Settlers in United States in the 20th Century

Mr. Sydney Colwell, (b. 1882), aged 23, Cornish miner travelling aboard the ship "Philadelphia" arriving at Ellis Island, New York on 19th August 1905 en route to Houghton, Michigan, USA 6

Colwell migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Colwell Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century

Mr. John Colwell U.E. who settled in Canada c. 1783 7

Colwell Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century

Henry Colwell, aged 21, a labourer, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick aboard the ship "Salus" in 1833
Bridget Colwell, aged 24, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick aboard the ship "Salus" in 1833
Catherine Colwell, aged 26, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick aboard the ship "Salus" in 1833
Hannah Colwell, aged 22, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick aboard the ship "Perseus" in 1834

Colwell migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Colwell Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

George Colwell, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Stebonheath" in 1849 8
Richard Colwell, aged 24, a labourer, who arrived in South Australia in 1852 aboard the ship "Chatham" 9
Henry Colwell, aged 42, a labourer, who arrived in South Australia in 1853 aboard the ship "Magdalena" 10
James Colwell, aged 22, a bricklayer, who arrived in South Australia in 1859 aboard the ship "Clara"

Colwell migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Colwell Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

John Colwell, aged 30, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Duchess of Argyle" in 1842
Ann Colwell, aged 27, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Duchess of Argyle" in 1842
James Colwell, aged 22, who arrived in Lyttelton, New Zealand aboard the ship "Ballochmyle" in 1874

Contemporary Notables of the name Colwell (post 1700) +

Jane Colwell -Danis (b. 1941), American-born Canadian and first formally-trained female vertebrate paleontologist, known for finding numerous rare fossils in the southern Canadian prairies
Patrick Colwell (b. 1951), American former politician
Otis Colwell (b. 1797), American merchant and politician
First Lieutenant Oliver Colwell (1834-1872), American soldier who fought in the American Civil War
Jeffrey Colwell (b. 1965), American lawyer, and retired colonel in the United States Marine Corps
Frederick "Rick" Colwell (1970-2020), American microbial ecologist specializing in subsurface microbiology and geomicrobiology
Martha Elizabeth Colwell (1881-1961), American printmaker, typographer, and writer
Carlton H. Colwell (1926-2021), American politician, Member of the Georgia House of Representatives (1964-1995)
Ernest Cadman Colwell (1901-1974), American biblical scholar, textual critic and palaeographer
Guy Colwell (b. 1945), American surrealist painter
... (Another 9 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Historic Events for the Colwell family +

RMS Lusitania

Mr. William J. Colwell, English Trimmer from England, who worked aboard the RMS Lusitania (1915) and survived the sinking 11

Citations +

Burke, John Bernard, The Roll of Battle Abbey. London: Edward Churton, 26, Holles Street, 1848, Print.
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
Black, George F., The Surnames of Scotland Their Origin, Meaning and History. New York: New York Public Library, 1946. Print. (ISBN 0-87104-172-3)
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
Cornwall Online Parish Clerks. (Retrieved 3rd May 2018). Retrieved from http://www.opc-cornwall.org/Resc/pdfs/emigration_ellis_island_1892_on.pdf
Rubincam, Milton. The Old United Empire Loyalists List. Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc, 1976. (Originally published as; United Empire Loyalists. The Centennial of the Settlement of Upper Canada. Rose Publishing Company, 1885.) ISBN 0-8063-0331-X
State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) STEBONHEATH 1849. Retrieved from http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1849Stebonheath.htm
South Australian Register Tuesday 3 February 1852. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) CHATHAM 1852. Retrieved http://www.theshipslist.com/ships/australia/chatham1852.shtml
South Australian Register Friday 26th August 1853. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) Magdalena 1853. Retrieved http://www.theshipslist.com/ships/australia/magdalena1853.shtml
Lusitania Passenger List - The Lusitania Resource. (Retrieved 2014, March 6) . Retrieved from http://www.rmslusitania.info/lusitania-passenger-list/