Godsowe History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

The name Godsowe comes from a name for a person who was "gode," meaning "good," along with "saule, or soule," meaning "soul." Thus it is thought to have originally been a nickname for a good soul, or honest person, which then went on to become a hereditary surname.

Early Origins of the Godsowe family

The surname Godsowe was first found in Essex where they held a family seat from very early times, some say before the Norman Conquest in 1066 A.D. We cannot support Lower, Bardsley, and Harrison who claim that the name was from Gods-Hill in the Isle of Wight.

Early History of the Godsowe family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Godsowe research. Another 105 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1505, 1556, 1542, 1568 and 1546 are included under the topic Early Godsowe History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Godsowe Spelling Variations

Until quite recently, the English language has lacked a definite system of spelling rules. Consequently, Anglo-Saxon surnames are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. Changes in Anglo-Saxon names were influenced by the evolution of the English language, as it incorporated elements of French, Latin, and other languages. Although Medieval scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded, so it is common to find one person referred to by several different spellings of his surname, even the most literate people varied the spelling of their own names. Variations of the name Godsowe include Godsell, Godsall, Goldsalde, Godseel, Godsel, Godsalve and many more.

Early Notables of the Godsowe family (pre 1700)

Notables of the family at this time include Sir John Godsalve (b. circa 1505- d. 1556), Clerk of the Signet, and Comptroller of the Mint, was the son and heir of Thomas Godsalve (d. 1542), registrar of the consistory court at Norwich and an owner of landed property in Norfolk. Edward...
Another 50 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Godsowe Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Godsowe family to Ireland

Some of the Godsowe family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt. More information about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Godsowe family

Searching for a better life, many English families migrated to British colonies. Unfortunately, the majority of them traveled under extremely harsh conditions: overcrowding on the ships caused the majority of the immigrants to arrive diseased, famished, and destitute from the long journey across the ocean. For those families that arrived safely, modest prosperity was attainable, and many went on to make invaluable contributions to the development of the cultures of the new colonies. Research into the origins of individual families in North America revealed records of the immigration of a number of people bearing the name Godsowe or a variant listed above: Michael Godsil settled in Harbour Grace, Newfoundland, in 1816; William Godsell settled in Tilting in 1818; Thomas Godsell settled in Harbour Grace from County Cork in 1831.