The Kessale history begins in
Cornwall, a rugged coastal region in southwestern
England. Quite distinct from
Devon, the adjoining county,
Cornwall had its own spoken language until the late 18th century. The Kessale history began here. The manner in which
hereditary surnames arose is interesting.
Local surnames were derived from where the original bearer lived, was born, or held land. Unlike most Celtic peoples, who favored
patronymic names, the Cornish predominantly used
local surnames. The Kessale family originally lived in the county of Cornwall, in the village of
Kestell.Early Origins of the Kessale family
The surname Kessale was first found in
Cornwall, where the family are known to have been resident at Kestell, in the parish of Egoshayle from the time of King John till the year 1737.
[1]CITATION[CLOSE]
Lowe, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print. Now known as Kestle and Kestle Mill, these hamlets are just south of Quintrell Downs.
Early History of the Kessale family
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Kessale research.
Another 221 words (16 lines of text) covering the years 1199, 1216, 1737, 1272, 1307 and 1700 are included under the topic Early Kessale History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Kessale Spelling Variations
Cornish surnames are characterized by a multitude of
spelling variations. The frequent changes in surnames are due to the fact that the Old and Middle English languages lacked definite spelling rules. The official court languages, which were Latin and French, were also influential on the spelling of a surname. Since the spelling of surnames was rarely consistent in medieval times, and 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 of their surname in the ancient chronicles. Moreover, a large number of foreign names were brought into
England, which accelerated and accentuated the alterations to the spelling of various surnames. Lastly,
spelling variations often resulted from the linguistic differences between the people of
Cornwall and the rest of
England. The Cornish spoke a unique
Brythonic Celtic language which was first recorded in written documents during the 10th century. However, they became increasingly Anglicized, and Cornish became extinct as a spoken language in 1777, although it has been revived by Cornish patriots in the modern era. The name has been spelled Kestle, Kestell, Kestel, Kestelle, Kessel, Kessal and many more.
Early Notables of the Kessale family (pre 1700)
More information is included under the topic Early Kessale Notables in all our
PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Migration of the Kessale family to the New World and Oceana
Research into the origins of individual families in North America has revealed records of the immigration of a number of people bearing the name Kessale or a variant listed above: Robert M. Kestell, who was on record in the Ontario census of 1871; as well as Robert Henry Kestell, who was naturalized in Michigan in 1881.