Show ContentsFulwell History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Early Origins of the Fulwell family

The surname Fulwell was first found in Cornwall where they held a family seat as Lords of the Manor of Falwell. Cornwall was a land set apart, a land of mystique and quaint customs, more strongly related to Brittany and Wales than to England. It was not until the 10th century that they submitted to the Saxon rule of England. Since then, their influence has moved east into Devon, Somerset and Dorset.

Early History of the Fulwell family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Fulwell research. Another 109 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1510, 1586 and 1600 are included under the topic Early Fulwell History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Fulwell 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 Falwell, Fallwell, Felwell and others.

Early Notables of the Fulwell family

  • Ulpian Fulwell (fl. 1586), English poet, 'a Somersetshire man born, and a gentleman's son,' says of himself: ‘When I was in the flower of my youth I was well regarded of many men, as well for my promp...


Fulwell migration to Australia +

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

First Fleet
  • Mr. Thomas Fulwell, (1769 - 1799), aged 20, British settler convicted in Middlesex, England in 1788, sentenced to 7 years for stealing clothes, transported aboard the ship "Neptune" leaving in 1789 arriving in New South Wales, Australia in 1790 1


  1. Convict Records of Australia. Retrieved 4th February 2021 from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships


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