Mandevul History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

The name Mandevul arrived in England after the Norman Conquest of 1066. The Mandevul family lived in Mandeville, near Valognes, Cotentin, Normandy. In Mandeville, the Norman Mandevul family were nobles who possessed a castle and vast estates. 1

"Upon the first arrival in England of the Conqueror, there was amongst his companions a famous soldier, called Geffray de Magnavil, so designated from the town of Magnavil in the Duchy of Normandy, who obtained as his share in the spoil of conquest, divers fair and wide spreading domains in the counties of Berks, Suffolk, Middlesex, Surrey, Oxford, Cambridge, Harts, Northampton, Warwick, and Essex. The grandson of this richly gifted noble, another Geoffrey de Mandeville, was advanced by King Stephen to the Earldom of Essex." 2

Early Origins of the Mandevul family

The surname Mandevul was first found in Wiltshire where they were anciently granted lands by William Duke of Normandy for their assistance at the Battle of Hastings in 1066 A.D. Geoffrey (Goisfrid) de Mandeville (c.1100) was an important Domesday tenant-in-chief; he was granted large estates in Essex, and in ten other shires by William, and was Constable of the Tower of London. 3

They were granted no less than 118 Lordships after the Conquest. William's descendent Geoffrey de Mandeville (d. 1144,) was created the 1st Earl of Essex, a title which became extinct in the 12th century after the death of the 3rd Earl.

The chief seat of the Mandevilles was at Walden in Essex, but many junior lines abounded. "Jehan de Mandeville", translated as "Sir John Mandeville", was noted as the compiler of a singular book of supposed travels, written in Anglo-Norman French, published between 1357 and 1371. They were Lords of the Manor of Earl's Stoke, in Wiltshire and also were granted lands in Devon.

Early rolls proved their widespread influence. Ernulf de Mandeuill was recorded in the Pipe Rolls for Wiltshire in 1158 and later, William de Manevell was found in Berkshire in the Curia Regis Rolls for 1210. Willaim de Manewell was registered in the Subsidy Rolls for Sussex in 1296. 4

The Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 included: Nigel de Manderville, Berkshire; and Ernald de Maundeville, Suffolk. 5

The Testa de Nevill, sive Liber Feodorum, temp. Henry III-Edward I listed Walter de Maundevill, Kent, 20 Edward I (during the twentieth year of King Edward I's reign.) 6

Early History of the Mandevul family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Mandevul research. Another 89 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1189, 1357, 1371, 1670 and 1733 are included under the topic Early Mandevul History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Mandevul Spelling Variations

Anglo-Norman names tend to be marked by an enormous number of spelling variations. This is largely due to the fact that Old and Middle English lacked any spelling rules when Norman French was introduced in the 11th century. The languages of the English courts at that time were French and Latin. These various languages mixed quite freely in the evolving social milieu. The final element of this mix is that medieval scribes spelled words according to their sounds rather than any definite rules, so a name was often spelled in as many different ways as the number of documents it appeared in. The name was spelled Mansville, Manvell, Mandeville, Magneville, Magnevilla, Manville, Mannevill, Manneville, Mandevile, Mansvile, Mansville, Mandevill, Manvill, Mansvill, Mansvil, Mandevil, Mandervil, Mandervill, Manderville, Mandavile, Mandavil, Mandavill, Mandaville, Mandavall, Mandavalle, Mandaval, Mandvill, Mandville, Mandvil and many more.

Early Notables of the Mandevul family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was "Jehan de Mandeville", better known as "Sir John Mandeville", (fl. 1357), English knight born at St. Albans, who complied "The Travels of Sir John Mandeville," a book account of his supposed travels throughout Europe published between 1357 and 1371; William de Mandeville (d. 1189), 3rd Earl...
Another 54 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Mandevul Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Mandevul family to Ireland

Some of the Mandevul family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 41 words (3 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Mandevul family

Because of the political and religious discontent in England, families began to migrate abroad in enormous numbers. Faced with persecution and starvation at home, the open frontiers and generally less oppressive social environment of the New World seemed tantalizing indeed to many English people. The trip was difficult, and not all made it unscathed, but many of those who did get to Canada and the United States made important contributions to the young nations in which they settled. Some of the first North American settlers with Mandevul name or one of its variants: Gillis Mandeville, who settled in New York in 1659; Miss Mandeville settled in Barbados in 1774; Mary Mandeville settled in Maryland in 1738. In Newfoundland, Canada, Patrick Mandavile from Clonmell, Tipperary, was married in St. John's in 1805.

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.
Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
Testa de Nevill or "Liber Feodorum" or "Book of Fees," thought to have been written by Ralph de Nevill, for King John (1199–1216)