| ![Show Contents]() Grenwell History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
- Origins Available:
England
Etymology of GrenwellWhat does the name Grenwell mean? The Grenwell name has descended through the generations from the ancient Anglo-Saxon culture. Their name comes from having lived as dwellers beside the green grassy hill or body of water. The name comes from the Old English words "green," and "well." No doubt, the first to use this surname were a family who lived on lush green ground near a well, spring or stream. As such, the surname is classed as a topographic surname, one based on physical features near the residence, such as hills, streams, churches, etc. Early Origins of the Grenwell familyThe surname Grenwell was first found in Durham where they held a family seat from very ancient times, as Lords of the manor of Greenwell in the parish of Walsingham, and are descended from Gulielmus the Presbyter who held those lands in 1183. His son James assumed the name of the lands, Greenwell. 1 "Greenwell is a very ancient Durham surname. The Greenwells of Stobilee, who carry their pedigree back to the beginning of the 16th century, seem to have been one of the principal stocks in modern times; the property of Broomshields has been for four centuries in the possession of a branch of this family." 2 Early History of the Grenwell familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Grenwell research. Another 96 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1442, 1447, 1470, 1781 and 1844 are included under the topic Early Grenwell History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Grenwell Spelling VariationsOnly recently has spelling become standardized in the English language. As the English language evolved in the Middle Ages, the spelling of names changed also. The name Grenwell has undergone many spelling variations, including Grenwell, Greenwell, Greenwall, Grenwall and others. Early Notables of the Grenwell familyJohn Greenwell, (died c. 1470), a monk of Fountains Abbey, Yorkshire elected abbot in October 1442. William Downom, was accused of trying to poison Greenwell shortly before 11 June in 1447.
Major-General Sir Leonard Greenwell KCB KCH (1781-1844)...
Another 37 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Grenwell Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Migration of the Grenwell familyTo escape the unstable social climate in England of this time, many families boarded ships for the New World with the hope of finding land, opportunity, and greater religious and political freedom. Although the voyages were expensive, crowded, and difficult, those families that arrived often found greater opportunities and freedoms than they could have experienced at home. 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 Grenwell were among those contributors: Acton Greenwell who settled in New England in 1775; Francis Greenwell who arrived in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1862; Richard in 1852; another Richard in 1855.
- Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
- Guppy, Henry Brougham, Homes of Family Names in Great Britain. 1890. Print.
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