Domvyle History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

Domvyle is one of the many names that the Normans brought with them when they conquered England in 1066. The Domvyle family lived in Cheshire. The family was originally from Dumville, in the arrondisement of Lisieux in Normandy. "The family, who probably entered England at the Conquest, were resident in co. Chester from the time of Henry III. till the beginning of the XVIII. cent." 1

Early Origins of the Domvyle family

The surname Domvyle was first found in Cheshire where the family was originally of Donville in the arrondisement of Lisieux in Normandy. The family held estates at Thingwell in Cheshire in early times. One of the first records of the family was Adam de Dunville 1182, who witnessed a charter in Chester. 2

"In the reign of Richard II. this place was held by the Domvilles, from whom it passed, through the Hulses and the Troutbecks, to the ancestors of the Earl of Shrewsbury." 3

The Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 had only one entry for the family: Hugo de Donvile, or Donvil, Salop (Shropshire.) 4

Early History of the Domvyle family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Domvyle research. Another 93 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1565, 1609, 1613, 1624, 1641, 1650, 1678, 1689, 1696, 1721, 1742, 1768, 1813 and 1833 are included under the topic Early Domvyle History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Domvyle Spelling Variations

Anglo-Norman names tend to be marked by an enormous number of spelling variations. This is largely due to the fact that Old and Middle English lacked any spelling rules when Norman French was introduced in the 11th century. The languages of the English courts at that time were French and Latin. These various languages mixed quite freely in the evolving social milieu. The final element of this mix is that medieval scribes spelled words according to their sounds rather than any definite rules, so a name was often spelled in as many different ways as the number of documents it appeared in. The name was spelled Domvile, Domville, Donvill, Donville, Dunville and many more.

Early Notables of the Domvyle family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was Sir William Domville (1565-1624) Silas Domville (1624-1678), was an English antiquary, the son of Silvanus Taylor, a committee-man for Herefordshire and 'a grand Oliverian,' born at Harley, near Much Wenlock, Shropshire, on 16 July 1624. "Although Wood calls him Domville or D'omville, it does not appear that Taylor...
Another 54 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Domvyle Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Domvyle family to Ireland

Some of the Domvyle family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 134 words (10 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 Domvyle family

Because of the political and religious discontent in England, families began to migrate abroad in enormous numbers. Faced with persecution and starvation at home, the open frontiers and generally less oppressive social environment of the New World seemed tantalizing indeed to many English people. The trip was difficult, and not all made it unscathed, but many of those who did get to Canada and the United States made important contributions to the young nations in which they settled. Some of the first North American settlers with Domvyle name or one of its variants: Edward Dumbrell, who came to Maryland in 1719; Patrick Domvile, who landed in America in 1754; as well as a Major Domville, who came to Halifax, N.S. in 1796..

The Domvyle 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: Qui stat caveat ne cadat
Motto Translation: Let him who standeth take heed lest he fall.

Citations +

Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
The Norman People and Their Existing Descendants in the British Dominions and the United States Of America. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing, 1975. Print. (ISBN 0-8063-0636-X)
Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, 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)