Gastrall History, Family Crest & Coats of ArmsEarly Origins of the Gastrall familyThe surname Gastrall was first found in Gloucestershire where they held a family seat as Lords of the Manor. After the Battle of Hastings in 1066, William, Duke of Normandy, having prevailed over King Harold, granted most of Britain to his many victorious Barons. It was not uncommon to find a Baron, or a Bishop, with 60 or more Lordships scattered throughout the country. These he gave to his sons, nephews and other junior lines of his family and they became known as under-tenants. They adopted the Norman system of surnames which identified the under-tenant with his holdings so as to distinguish him from the senior stem of the family. After many rebellious wars between his Barons, Duke William, commissioned a census of all England to determine in 1086, settling once and for all, who held which land. He called the census the Domesday Book, 1 indicating that those holders registered would hold the land until the end of time. Hence, conjecturally, the surname is descended from the tenant of the lands of Shipton Moyne, held by Matthew of Mortagne from the King who was recorded in the Domesday Book census of 1086. Early History of the Gastrall familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Gastrall research. Another 108 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1191, 1510, 1600, 1662, 1680 and 1725 are included under the topic Early Gastrall History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Gastrall Spelling VariationsSpelling variations of this family name include: Grastrell, Gastrel, Gostrell, Gostrel, Gastrall and others. Early Notables of the Gastrall familyOutstanding amongst the family at this time was Francis Gastrell (1662-1725), Bishop of Chester, born at Slapton, Northamptonshire, on 10 May 1662, and baptised the day of his birth, the second of the two sons of Henry Gastrell of Slapton, a gentleman of property, descended from the Gastrells of Gloucestershire... Migration of the Gastrall familySome of the first settlers of this family name or some of its variants were: 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..
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