Machel History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

Early Origins of the Machel family

The surname Machel was first found in Westmorland where they held a family seat as Lords of the Manor. The Saxon influence of English history diminished after the Battle of Hastings in 1066. The language of the courts was French for the next three centuries and the Norman ambience prevailed. But Saxon surnames survived and the family name was first referenced in the 11th century when they held estates in that shire. One of the first records of the name was Halthe le Machel who was listed there during the reign of Henry I. Humfrey le Machel was also listed in the rolls of Henry II. These latter rolls also lists William Malus Catulus in 1179 and William Manchel in 1206. 1

Early History of the Machel family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Machel research. Another 167 words (12 lines of text) covering the years 1000, 1234, 1374, 1455, 1487, 1510, 1536, 1600, 1614, 1637, 1663, 1666, 1670, 1671, 1699, 1702, 1704 and 1765 are included under the topic Early Machel History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Machel Spelling Variations

Until quite recently, the English language has lacked a definite system of spelling rules. Consequently, Anglo-Saxon surnames are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. Changes in Anglo-Saxon names were influenced by the evolution of the English language, as it incorporated elements of French, Latin, and other languages. Although Medieval scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded, so it is common to find one person referred to by several different spellings of his surname, even the most literate people varied the spelling of their own names. Variations of the name Machel include Machell, Machael, Mauchel, Mauchell, Machel, Mackell, Mackel, Mauckell, Mauckel, Maukel and many more.

Early Notables of the Machel family

Distinguished members of the family include

John Machell (1637-1704), Member of Parliament for Horsham, Sussex, from Hills Place Horsham...
Machell and a close relative called him to an ale-house where Machell beat Gott so badly he broke his arm...
Machell and his relative were indicted, convicted and sentenced to fines of £1000 and £500 respectively...
Later, Machell's daughter, Isabella Machell (1670-1765) married Arthur Ingram (1666-1702), 3rd Viscount of Irvine, Lord Lieutenant of the North Riding of Yorkshire (1699-1702) and had nine sons...

Machel migration to the United States +

Searching for a better life, many English families migrated to British colonies. Unfortunately, the majority of them traveled under extremely harsh conditions: overcrowding on the ships caused the majority of the immigrants to arrive diseased, famished, and destitute from the long journey across the ocean. For those families that arrived safely, modest prosperity was attainable, and many went on to make invaluable contributions to the development of the cultures of the new colonies. Research into the origins of individual families in North America revealed records of the immigration of a number of people bearing the name Machel or a variant listed above:

Machel Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Berman Machel, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1802 2
Johann Machel, who landed in New York in 1850 2

Machel migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Machel Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Margaret Machel, aged 19, a servant, who arrived in South Australia in 1854 aboard the ship "Taymouth Castle" 3

Contemporary Notables of the name Machel (post 1700) +

Samora Moises Machel (1933-1986), Mozambican military commander, revolutionary socialist leader and 1st President of Mozambique
Machel Montano (b. 1974), Trinidadian soca singer, record producer and songwriter

Citations +

Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
South Australian Register Thursday 4th May 1854. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) Taymouth Castle 1854. Retrieved http://www.theshipslist.com/ships/australia/taymouthcastle1854.shtml