EnglandThe ancient history of the Furneaux name begins with the Norman invaders of Britain. The name is derived from some of the many place names in Northern France created from the Old French word "fournel." One family resided in the area of Furneau-sur-Baise, near Falaise, France. [1] The Normans frequently used the name of their estate in Normandy as part of their name. Other Norman invaders took names from their recently acquired estates in England.
The surname Furneaux was first found in Somerset where Odo de Furnell was held in capite in 1086 [2] Later, Galfrid de Furnell was Sheriff of Devon 1 Hen. II (during the first year of Henry II's reign.) His son Henry followed him in the office 25 Hen. II. and 7 Richard I. Alan Furneaux, in 1165, was one of the Justiciaries. One of their seats was at Kentisbere. Another, Fenn Ottery, “was for many descents held by the Furneaux by sergeantry, and so continued unto the latter end of King Edward II.’s days.” They had received it from Henry I. The last heir, Sir Matthew, died in 1315, the year of his shrievalty. The name is found in Northumberland, when Robert Fitz Roger and Ralph de Furnell were joint Sheriffs in 1200, 1201, and 1202. [3]
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Furneaux research. Another 88 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1086, 1726, 1783 and 1726 are included under the topic Early Furneaux History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Norman surnames are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. The frequent changes in surnames are largely due to the fact that the Old and Middle English languages lacked definite spelling rules. The introduction of Norman French to England, as well as the official court languages of Latin and French, also had pronounced influences on the spelling of surnames. Since medieval 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. The name has been spelled Furneaux, Furnell, Fournel and others.
More information is included under the topic Early Furneaux Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Furneaux migration to New Zealand +
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