| ![Show Contents]() Hodsoll History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
- Origins Available:
 England Early Origins of the Hodsoll familyThe surname Hodsoll was first found in Kent 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 Ash, held by powerful Baron Hugh de Port from the Bishop of Bayeux, half brother of Duke William of Normandy who was recorded in the Domesday Book census of 1086. Hugh was from Port in the Bessin near Bayeux in Normandy. The Marquesses of Winchester, the Dukes of Bolton, Viscounts, Grandison, Earls of Jersey, and the Earls of Bolingrobe are descended from Hugh. His chief domain was at Basing. Early History of the Hodsoll familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Hodsoll research. Another 112 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1510 and 1600 are included under the topic Early Hodsoll History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Hodsoll Spelling VariationsMultitudes of spelling variations are a hallmark of Anglo Norman names. Most of these names evolved in the 11th and 12th century, in the time after the Normans introduced their own Norman French language into a country where Old and Middle English had no spelling rules and the languages of the court were French and Latin. To make matters worse, medieval scribes spelled words according to sound, so names frequently appeared differently in the various documents in which they were recorded. The name was spelled Hodsoll, Hodsell, Hodsel, Hodsol, Hodsull, Hodsul and others. Early Notables of the Hodsoll familyOutstanding amongst the family at this time was - the Hodsoll family of Kent
 Hodsoll migration to Canada | + |
Because of this political and religious unrest within English society, many people decided to immigrate to the colonies. Families left for Ireland, North America, and Australia in enormous numbers, traveling at high cost in extremely inhospitable conditions. The New World in particular was a desirable destination, but the long voyage caused many to arrive sick and starving. Those who made it, though, were welcomed by opportunities far greater than they had known at home in England. Many of these families went on to make important contributions to the emerging nations of Canada and the United States. Analysis of immigration records indicates that some of the first North American immigrants bore the name Hodsoll or a variant listed above: Hodsoll Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century- Mrs. Ann Hodsoll, (b. 1815), aged 40, Cornish settler departing from Falmouth destined for Quebec, Canada aboard the ship "Barque John" on 3rd May 1855 which sank after striking the reef, she died in the sinking 2
- Miss Nancy Hodsoll, (b. 1838), aged 17, Cornish settler departing from Falmouth destined for Quebec, Canada aboard the ship "Barque John" on 3rd May 1855 which sank after striking the reef, she died in the sinking 2
- Mr. Joseph Hodsoll, (b. 1842), aged 13, Cornish settler departing from Falmouth destined for Quebec, Canada aboard the ship "Barque John" on 3rd May 1855 which sank after striking the reef, he died in the sinking 2
- Mr. George Hodsoll, (b. 1843), aged 12, Cornish settler departing from Falmouth destined for Quebec, Canada aboard the ship "Barque John" on 3rd May 1855 which sank after striking the reef, he died in the sinking 2
- Miss Rosina Hodsoll, (b. 1845), aged 10, Cornish settler departing from Falmouth destined for Quebec, Canada aboard the ship "Barque John" on 3rd May 1855 which sank after striking the reef, she died in the sinking 2
- ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
| Contemporary Notables of the name Hodsoll (post 1700) | + |
- Frank Hodsoll (1938-2016), American historian, 4th Chairman of the National Endowment for the Arts (1981-1989)
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Hodsoll migration to Canada 
