Show ContentsMinshel History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The ancient history of the Minshel name begins with the ancient Anglo-Saxon tribes of Britain. The name is derived from when the family resided in the parish of Minshull, which was located five miles from Nantwich in the county of Cheshire. This parish dates back to the Domesday Book of 1086 where it was known as Maneshale. 1

Early Origins of the Minshel family

The surname Minshel was first found in Cheshire at Minshull Vernon. "The manor belonged anciently to the Vernons, from whom it passed to the family of Aldeton, sometimes called Oldington and Oulton; it was subsequently divided among the Starkies, Newtons, and Minshulls." 2

Later some of the family were found at Alsager, again in Cheshire. "The manor [of Alsager] was at an early period in the possession of the Vernon family, and subsequently in that of the family of Minshull." 2

Early History of the Minshel family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Minshel research. Another 104 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1359, 1560, 1608, 1627, 1638, 1643, 1662, 1674, 1686 and 1728 are included under the topic Early Minshel History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Minshel 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 Minshel include Minshull, Minshall, Minshaw, Mynshawe, Mynshewe and many more.

Early Notables of the Minshel family

Notables of the family at this time include Richard Minshull or Minshall (died 1686), an English academic, Master of Sidney Sussex College, Cambridge (1643-1686); and John Minsheu (or Minshew) (1560-1627), English lexicographer who taught languages in London, his dictionary "Guide to Tongues" provides equivalents of eleven languages and is a valuable reference...
Another 52 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Minshel Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Minshel family

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 Minshel or a variant listed above: Thomas Minshall and his wife Margaret who settled in Pennsylvania in 1682; John Minshall who settled in Philadelphia in 1823 and Richard Minshall who settled in Maryland in 1680..



  1. Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
  2. Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.


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