The Jewall family name is linked to the ancient
Anglo-Saxon culture of Britain. Their name comes from the baptismal name
Joel. The surname Jewall referred to the
son of Joel which belongs to the category of
patronymic surnames. In Old English, patronyms were formed by adding a variety of suffixes to personal names, which changed over time and from place to place. For example, after the
Norman Conquest,
sunu and
sune, which meant
son, were the most common patronymic suffixes. In the 12th and 13th centuries, the most common patronymic names included the word
filius, which meant
son. By the 14th century, the suffix
son had replaced these earlier versions. Surnames that were formed with
filius or
son were more common in the north of
England and it was here that the number of individuals without surnames was greatest at this time.
Early Origins of the Jewall family
The surname Jewall was first found in
Wiltshire where they held a
family seat from very ancient times, some say well before the
Norman Conquest and the arrival of Duke William at Hastings in 1066 A.D.
Early History of the Jewall family
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Jewall research.
Another 99 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1560, 1559, 1522 and 1571 are included under the topic Early Jewall History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Jewall Spelling Variations
Until the dictionary, an invention of only the last few
hundred years, the English language lacked any comprehensive system of spelling rules. Consequently,
spelling variations in names are frequently found in early
Anglo-Saxon and later Anglo-Norman documents. One person's name was often spelled several different ways over a lifetime. The recorded variations of Jewall include Jewell, Jewall, Jule, Joel, Jouel and others.
Early Notables of the Jewall family (pre 1700)
More information is included under the topic Early Jewall Notables in all our
PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Migration of the Jewall family to the New World and Oceana
Thousands of English families boarded ships sailing to the New World in the hope of escaping the unrest found in
England at this time. Although the search for opportunity and freedom from persecution abroad took the lives of many because of the cramped conditions and unsanitary nature of the vessels, the opportunity perceived in the growing colonies of North America beckoned. Many of the settlers who survived the journey went on to make important contributions to the transplanted cultures of their adopted countries. The Jewall were among these contributors, for they have been located in early North American records: Thomas and Walter Jewell settled in Virginia in 1635; Robert Jewell settled in Virginia in 1637; Thomas Jewell settled in Boston Massachusetts in 1635..