Show ContentsHeole History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

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Heole Family Crest Download (JPG) Heritage Series - 600 DPI

Family Crest Download (JPG) Heritage Series - 600 DPI

Etymology of Heole

What does the name Heole mean?

Heole is an ancient Norman name that arrived in England after the Norman Conquest of 1066. The Heole family lived in Norfolk. The surname Heal was a topographic name indicating that its bearer lived in or near a nook or hollow. 1

Early Origins of the Heole family

The surname Heole was first found in Devon where they held a manor in the parish of Bradninch. One of the first on record was Roger De la Heale who was lord of Heale, temp. Henry III. 2

They were conjecturally descended from Erchenbald, who held the lands from the Count of Mortain, as recorded in the Domesday Book in 1086. 3

The first entry for the family was actually found in Hampshire. It was here that William de Lahela was listed in the Pipe Rolls for 1130.

A number of entries for the family were found in Somerset: John in the Hele; Edith atte Hele, Somerset; William in the Hele; and Edith in le Hele. All were listed 1 Edward III (in the first year of King Edward III's reign.) 4

"Many more instances from the same record could be given. One thing is certain, the West country is the chief habitat of the surname." 5"Hele and Heale are very common place-names in Devon, less frequent in Somerset, and occasionally noted in Hampshire, Wiltshire, Worcester and Surrey." 1

Hele Elize Hele, of Wollaton, [Devon] bequeathed in 1635 the manor of Brixton Reigny and all his estates to charitable uses, and thus became the great school founder of his native county. It is a question whether the Heles really sprung from Hele near Bradninch, or Hele in Cornwood, where they can certainly be traced to the reign of Richard II. ; but the latter is probably a younger branch." 6

Early History of the Heole family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Heole research. Another 130 words (9 lines of text) covering the years 1130, 1234, 1543, 1560, 1581, 1592, 1595, 1601, 1608, 1626, 1627, 1630, 1635, 1644, 1659, 1661, 1665 and 1670 are included under the topic Early Heole History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Heole Spelling Variations

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 Heal, Heale, Heales, Hele and others.

Early Notables of the Heole family

Elize Hele or Elizeus Hele (1560-1635), an English lawyer and philanthropist, founder Hele's School, Devon; Sir Thomas Hele, 1st Baronet (c. 1595-1670), an English politician who sat in the House of Commons of England between 1626 and 1670 who fought on the Royalist side in the English Civil War; Thomas Hele (1630-1665), an English politician who sat in the House of Commons from 1661 to 1665; and John Hele (1626-1661), an English lawyer and politician who sat in the House of Commons between 1659 and 1661. William Heale (1581?-1627), was an English divine, a native of South Heal in the...
Another 98 words (7 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Heole Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Heole family

Many English families emigrated to North American colonies in order to escape the political chaos in Britain at this time. Unfortunately, many English families made the trip to the New World 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 stormy Atlantic. Despite these hardships, many of the families prospered and went on to make invaluable contributions to the development of the cultures of the United States and Canada. Early North American immigration records have revealed a number of people bearing the name Heole or a variant listed above: John Heale who settled in Virginia in 1663; Abigail Heale settled in Virginia in 1654; William Heale settled in Cambridge Massachusetts in 1620; William Hele settled in Cambridge Massachusetts in 1635.
  1. Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
  2. Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
  3. Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
  4. Dickinson, F.H., Kirby's Quest for Somerset of 16th of Edward the 3rd London: Harrison and Sons, Printers in Ordinary to Her Majesty, St, Martin's Lane, 1889. Print.
  5. Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
  6. Worth, R.N., A History of Devonshire London: Elliot Stock, 62, Paternoster Row, E.G., 1895. Digital

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