Lacelles History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
France

The name Lacelles came to England with the ancestors of the Lacelles family in the Norman Conquest of 1066. The Lacelles family lived in the village of Lacella in the French region of Orne, where they were titled the Barons of Messie.

"William de Lacelles, who in 1165 held two fees in Yorkshire, was plaintiff in a suit against his uncle Ralph for Lacelle and the barony of Messie, which Ralph inherited to him as an inheritance." 1

"This Norman adventurer seems to have been requited for his services by grants in the Northern Counties, particularly in Yorkshire, where his descendants were seated at a very early period." 2

Early Origins of the Lacelles family

The surname Lacelles was first found in Yorkshire, where the family was "a family of ancient standing in this county, descended from John de Laselles, of Hinderskelfe, now called Castle Howard, in the wapentake of Bulmer, in the North riding, living in the ninth year of Edward II. For seven generations immediately following they were called 'Lascelles alias Jackson.' " 3

Sowerby in the North Riding of Yorkshire was an early home to some of the family. "This place, at an early period, was the property of the Lascelles family, who in the reign of Elizabeth granted it to the Meynells, whose descendant Thomas Meynell, Esq., is now lord of the manor." 4

"Roger de Lascelles is mentioned in 1131 as one of the 'men' of Earl of Stephen of Richmond, and held Scruton and Kirby in the North Riding [of Yorkshire]." 5

Early History of the Lacelles family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Lacelles research. Another 349 words (25 lines of text) covering the years 1066, 1086, 1165, 1273, 1295, 1380, 1574, 1603, 1612, 1624, 1647, 1655, 1658, 1665, 1667, 1668, 1690, 1713, 1719, 1734, 1737, 1745, 1753 and 1801 are included under the topic Early Lacelles History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Lacelles Spelling Variations

It is only in the last few hundred years that the English language has been standardized. For that reason, Anglo-Norman surnames like Lacelles are characterized by many spelling variations. Scribes and monks in the Middle Ages spelled names they sounded, so it is common to find several variations that refer to a single person. As the English language changed and incorporated elements of other European languages such as Norman French and Latin, even literate people regularly changed the spelling of their names. The variations of the name Lacelles include Lascelles, Lassells, Lascell, Lassell, Lasselle, Lasell, Laselle, Lascelle, Lasceles, Lacelles, Lassels, Lacelles, Lacells, Lascells, Lasselis, Lescellis, Lessels and many more.

Early Notables of the Lacelles family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was

Roger Lacelles, summoned to Parliament as a Baron in 1295

Migration of the Lacelles family

Faced with the chaos present in England at that time, many English families looked towards the open frontiers of the New World with its opportunities to escape oppression and starvation. People migrated to North America, as well as Australia and Ireland in droves, paying exorbitant rates for passages in cramped, unsafe ships. Many of the settlers did not make the long passage alive, but those who did see the shores of North America were welcomed with great opportunity. Many of the families that came from England went on to make essential contributions to the emerging nations of Canada and the United States. Some of the first immigrants to cross the Atlantic and come to North America carried the name Lacelles, or a variant listed above: Henry Lascelles, who sailed to Georgia in 1735; W. Lascelles, who immigrated to Nova Scotia in 1749; Eliz Laswell, who arrived in New York in 1821 with her eight children, Agnes Lascelles, who settled in New Brunswick in 1825.

Contemporary Notables of the name Lacelles (post 1700) +

Suzanne Lacelles, Canadian short track speed skater

Citations +

The Norman People and Their Existing Descendants in the British Dominions and the United States Of America. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing, 1975. Print. (ISBN 0-8063-0636-X)
Burke, John Bernard, The Roll of Battle Abbey. London: Edward Churton, 26, Holles Street, 1848, Print.
Shirley, Evelyn Philip, The Noble and Gentle Men of England; The Arms and Descents. Westminster: John Bower Nichols and Sons, 1866, Print.
Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
Cleveland, Dutchess of The Battle Abbey Roll with some Account of the Norman Lineages. London: John Murray, Abermarle Street, 1889. Print. Volume 2 of 3