Lascel History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Scotland

The history of the Lascel family name begins after the Norman Conquest of 1066. They 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 Lascel family

The surname Lascel 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 Lascel family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Lascel 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 Lascel History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Lascel Spelling Variations

Anglo-Norman names are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. When the Normans became the ruling people of England in the 11th century, they introduced a new language into a society where the main languages of Old and later Middle English had no definite spelling rules. These languages were more often spoken than written, so they blended freely with one another. Contributing to this mixing of tongues was the fact that medieval scribes spelled words according to sound, ensuring that a person's name would appear differently in nearly every document in which it was recorded. The name has been spelled Lascelles, Lassells, Lascell, Lassell, Lasselle, Lasell, Laselle, Lascelle, Lasceles, Lacelles, Lassels, Lacelles, Lacells, Lascells, Lasselis, Lescellis, Lessels and many more.

Early Notables of the Lascel family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was

Richard Lassels (also Lascelles) (c.?1603-1668), English Roman Catholic priest and a travel writer
Thomas Lascelles (Lassells) (ca.1624-1658), English officer in the Commonwealth's army and a landowner
Thomas Lascelles (Lascelles and Lassells) (c.1624-c.1658), an officer in the Commonwealth's army and a landowner
Francis Lascelles (1612-1667), of Stank Hall Kirby Sigston Yorkshire, English landowner and politician
Henry Lascelles (1690-1753), an English-born Barbados plantation owner, Director of the British East India Company (1737-1745)

Migration of the Lascel family

For many English families, the political and religious disarray that plagued their homeland made the frontiers of the New World an attractive prospect. Thousands migrated, aboard cramped disease-ridden ships. They arrived sick, poor, and hungry, but were welcomed in many cases with far greater opportunity than at home in England. Many of these hardy settlers went on to make important contributions to the emerging nations in which they landed. Among early immigrants bearing the name Lascel or a variant listed above were: 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.

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