Contents [hide]

Cornwall History Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables Ranking

Ireland United States Canada Australia New Zealand

Contemporary Notables Historic Events Related Stories Motto Citations

Cornwall History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Scotland
Ireland

The Atlantic Ocean to the north and west and the English Channel to the south borders Cornwall, the homeland to the Cornwall family name. Even though the usage of surnames was common during the Middle Ages, all English people were known only by a single name in early times. The manner in which hereditary surnames arose is interesting. Local surnames are derived from where the original bearer lived, was born, or held land. The Cornwall family originally lived in the county of Cornwall in southwest England.

Early Origins of the Cornwall family

The surname Cornwall was first found in St. Stephens in Brannell, Cornwall. "The manor of Brannell was granted by King John to Richard Earl of Cornwall and king of the Romans. By Richard it was given to Richard de Cornubia, or Cornwall, his natural son by Joan de Valletort, widow of Sir Alexander Oakeston. William de Cornwall of Court in this parish, is mentioned by Prince as first prior of Bewley; and afterwards in 1272, abbot of Newham in Devon. He is represented as living to a great age, and as dying in the year 1320 blind and decrepid. Godfrey de Cornwall, a Carmelite friar who distinguished himself as the author of several learned works about the year 1300, is said to have been born at [the]Court [manor house]." 1

Some of the family emigrated to Ireland in the fourteenth century where the name was typically spelt Cornwalsh, Cornwalysch or Cornwallis. It is thought that the progenitor in Ireland was Sir John de Cornwall or Cornwaille, Constable of Carlow Castle who settled in the time of Edward III. From this family was find John le Cornwaleys of Dublin, an attorney listed in 1310 and James Cornwalsh (died 1441), an Irish judge who held the office of Chief Baron of the Irish Exchequer. He was murdered in a feud over the possession of Baggotrath Castle, near Dublin. Later, Sir John Cornwalsh, or Cornwalysch (died 1472) was an Irish judge who held the office of Chief Baron of the Irish Exchequer. He was probably born at Dunboyne in County Meath.

Early History of the Cornwall family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Cornwall research. Another 195 words (14 lines of text) covering the years 1180, 1452, 1467, 1468, 1502, 1503, 1505, 1506, 1513, 1514, 1515, 1516, 1519, 1520, 1537, 1581, 1601, 1605, 1610, 1613, 1632, 1644, 1654, 1655, 1659, 1660, 1662, 1673, 1675, 1685, 1689, 1692, 1693, 1698, 1717, 1797 and 1842 are included under the topic Early Cornwall History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Cornwall Spelling Variations

Cornish surnames are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. The frequent changes in surnames are due to the fact that the Old and Middle English languages lacked definite spelling rules. The official court languages, which were Latin and French, were also influential on the spelling of a surname. Since the spelling of surnames was rarely consistent in medieval times, and scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded rather than adhering to any specific spelling rules, it was common to find the same individual referred to with different spellings of their surname in the ancient chronicles. Moreover, a large number of foreign names were brought into England, which accelerated and accentuated the alterations to the spelling of various surnames. Lastly, spelling variations often resulted from the linguistic differences between the people of Cornwall and the rest of England. The Cornish spoke a unique Brythonic Celtic language which was first recorded in written documents during the 10th century. However, they became increasingly Anglicized, and Cornish became extinct as a spoken language in 1777, although it has been revived by Cornish patriots in the modern era. The name has been spelled Cornwall, Cornelle, Cornell, Cornwell, Cornewall, Cornal, Cornale, Cornevale, Carnwell, Carnewell, Carnville, Carnevale, Cornhall, Cornehall, Cornhale, Cornwale, Curnow (from native Cornish word) and many more.

Early Notables of the Cornwall family

Notable amongst the family at this time was

Thomas Cornwall, High Sheriff of Herefordshire in 1452 and 1467
Jane Cornwallis (1581-1659), an English lady whose private correspondence (1613-1644) were published in 1842, mother of Frederick Cornwallis
Thomas Cornwallis (c. 1605-1675), an English politician and colonial administrator, one of the first Commissioners of the Province of Maryland
Frederick Cornwallis, 1st Baron Cornwallis Bt KT (1610-1662), an English peer, MP and Privy Councillor
Charles Cornwallis, 2nd Baron Cornwallis of Eye (1632-1673), an English landowner and politician who sat in the House of Commons from 1660 to 1662
Charles Cornwallis, 3rd Baron Cornwallis PC (1655-1698), a British politician, First Lord of the Admiralty (1692-1693), Lord Lieutenant of Suffolk (1689-1698)

Cornwall Ranking

In the United States, the name Cornwall is the 14,365^th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 2

Migration of the Cornwall family to Ireland

Some of the Cornwall family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 31 words (2 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Cornwall migration to the United States +

The records on immigrants and ships' passengers show a number of people bearing the name Cornwall:

Cornwall Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Pastrow Cornwall, who landed in Virginia in 1654 3
Ann Cornwall, who landed in Maryland in 1673 3
John Hogben Cornwall, who landed in Maryland in 1674 3
Martha Cornwall, who arrived in Maryland in 1679 3

Cornwall Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

William Cornwall, who settled in Maine in 1718
Thomas Cornwall, who settled in Georgia in 1733
Daniel Cornwall, who arrived in New York in 1795 3

Cornwall Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Thomas R Cornwall, aged 27, who arrived in New York in 1812 3
Hannah Cornwall, who arrived in America in 1830 3
James Cornwall, who arrived in New York in 1835 3
J I Cornwall, who landed in San Francisco, California in 1850 3
N Cornwall, who landed in San Francisco, California in 1850 3
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Cornwall migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Cornwall Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century

Mr. Andrew Cornwall U.E. who settled in Saint John, New Brunswick c. 1783 4
Mr. Jacob Cornwall U.E. who settled in Canada c. 1783 4
Mr. John Cornwall U.E. who settled in Canada c. 1783 4
Mr. John Cornwall Sr., U.E. who settled in Malden, Essex County, Ontario c. 1783 4
Mr. William Cornwall U.E. who settled in Saint John, New Brunswick c. 1783 4

Cornwall Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century

Martin Cornwall, who arrived in Canada in 1830
Thomas Cornwall, who landed in Canada in 1830

Cornwall migration to Australia +

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

Cornwall Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Mrs. Mary Janes Cornwall, (b. 1814), aged 23, Irish needle woman who was convicted in Antrim, Ireland for 7 years, transported aboard the "Diamond" on 29th November 1837, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 5
Mr. Daniell Cornwall, (b. 1816), aged 22, Cornish farm overseer travelling aboard the ship "James Pattison" arriving in New South Wales, Australia on 11th December 1838 6
Stephen Cornwall, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Somersetshire" in 1839 7
Mary Cornwall, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Somersetshire" in 1839 7
Thomas Cornwall, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Somersetshire" in 1839 7
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Cornwall 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:

Cornwall Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Mr. Joseph Cornwall, (b. 1840), aged 21, British farm labourer travelling from Bristol aboard the ship "Rhea Sylvia" arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 2nd May 1861 8
Mrs. Cornwall, British settler travelling from Gravesend with 3 children aboard the ship "Hydaspes" arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 28th October 1868 9
John Cornwall, aged 23, a carpenter, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Assaye" in 1874 9
Hannah Cornwall, aged 22, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Assaye" in 1874 9

Contemporary Notables of the name Cornwall (post 1700) +

Charles Wolfran Cornwall (1735-1789), Speaker of the House of Commons, grandson of Charles Cornewall, and only son of Jacobs Cornwall of Berrington, Herefordshire 10
Luke Cornwall (b. 1980), English-born, Australian footballer
David John Moore Cornwall (b. 1931), birth name of John Le Carré, the English author of espionage novels
General Sir J Cornwall, Bishop of Winchester
Travis Cornwall (b. 1990), Canadian professional indoor lacrosse player, brother to Jeff Cornwall
Jeff Cornwall (b. 1991), Canadian lacrosse player for the Edmonton Rush
Sir Vere Cornwall Bird Sr. (1910-1999), first Prime Minister of Antigua and Barbuda
Francis Cornwall Sherman (1805-1870), American Democratic Party politician, Mayor of Chicago, Illinois, 1841-42, 1862-65;Delegate to Illinois State Constitutional Convention from Cook County, 1847; Candidate for U.S. Representative from Illinois 1st District, 1862
Cornwall H. Loomis, American politician, U.S. Vice Consul in Calcutta, 1922

Historic Events for the Cornwall family +

SS Atlantic

Mr. Steven Cornwall, who was traveling aboard the ship "SS Atlantic" when it struck rocks off Nova Scotia in 1873, died in the sinking

The Cornwall Motto +

The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.

Motto: La Vie Durante
Motto Translation: During life.

Citations +

Hutchins, Fortescue, The History of Cornwall, from the Earliest Records and Traditions to the Present Time. London: William Penaluna, 1824. Print
"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)
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
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 1st July 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/Diamond
Cornwall Online Parish Clerks. (Retrieved 2018, May 30). Ships' Passenger Lists of Arrivals in New South Wales on (1828 - 1842, 1848 - 1849) [PDF]. Retrieved from http://www.opc-cornwall.org/Resc/pdfs/emigration_nsw_1838_on.pdf
State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) SOMERSETSHIRE 1839. Retrieved from http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1839Somersetshire.htm
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 26th March 2019). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 17th October 2018). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
Wikisource contributors. "Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900." Wikisource . Wikisource , 4 Jun. 2018. Web. 30 June 2020