Show ContentsFrewill History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Early Origins of the Frewill family

The surname Frewill was first found in Staffordshire where Alexander Baron de Frevile, the lineal descendant of the Norman, married Joane, granddaughter and coheir of Sir Philip Marmion, and was great-grandfather of Sir Baldwin de Freville, who, in the 1st Richard II., claimed, as feudal Lord of Tamworth Castle, to be the King's champion on the day of his coronation; but the same was determined against him, in favour of Sir John Dymoke, in right of the tenure of Scrivelsby. The last direct male heir, Baldwin de Freville, died, in minority 6th Henry V., when his great possessions were partitioned among the husbands of his sisters; thus Sir Thomas Ferrers had Tamworth Castle, Sir Richard Bingham, Middleton in Warwickshire, and Roger Aston, Newdigate, in Surrey." 1

The Freville Baronetcy was originally from Fresville, in the arrondisement of Valognes, Montebourg. 2

Early History of the Frewill family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Frewill research. Another 171 words (12 lines of text) covering the years 1178, 1510, 1552, 1570, 1579, 1600, 1603, 1607, 1628, 1630, 1642, 1665 and 1682 are included under the topic Early Frewill History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Frewill Spelling Variations

Spelling variations in names were a common occurrence in the eras before English spelling was standardized a few hundred years ago. In the Middle Ages, even the literate regularly changed the spellings of their names as the English language incorporated elements of French, Latin, and other European languages. Many variations of the name Frewill have been found, including Freville, Fresville, Freevill, Freeville, Frevile, Frevill, Freefill, Frefill, Frevil, Freewill, Frewill, Freshville, Freschville, Freshfill and many more.

Early Notables of the Frewill family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was John Frescheville, 1st Baron Frescheville (1607-1682), an English soldier, landowner and politician who sat in the House of Commons between 1628 and 1665, Deputy Lieutenant of Derbyshire (1630-1642.) George Freville (d. 1579), was an English...
Another 42 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Frewill Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Frewill family

For many English families, the social climate in England was oppressive and lacked opportunity for change. For such families, the shores of Ireland, Australia, and the New World beckoned. They left their homeland at great expense in ships that were overcrowded and full of disease. Many arrived after the long voyage sick, starving, and without a penny. But even those were greeted with greater opportunity than they could have experienced back home. Numerous English settlers who arrived in the United States and Canada at this time went on to make important contributions to the developing cultures of those countries. Many of those families went on to make significant contributions to the rapidly developing colonies in which they settled. Early North American records indicate many people bearing the name Frewill were among those contributors: the name represented in many forms and recorded from the mid 17th century in the great migration from Europe. Migrants settled in the eastern seaboard from Newfoundland, to Maine, to Virginia, the Carolinas, and to the islands..



  1. Burke, John Bernard, The Roll of Battle Abbey. London: Edward Churton, 26, Holles Street, 1848, Print.
  2. Barber, Henry, British Family Names London: Elliot Stock, 62 Paternoster Row, 1894. Print.


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