Nevile History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

The name Nevile was brought to England in the great wave of migration following the Norman Conquest of 1066. The Nevile family lived in Durham. Their name, however, is a reference to Neuville, Sur Touques of Orne in the canton of Gacey, Normandy. "This family descended from Baldric Teutonicus, who with his brother Wiger came to Normandy c.900 to offer his service to the Duke. From him descend the families Neville, Courcy and others." 1

Early Origins of the Nevile family

The surname Nevile was first found in Durham where they claim descent from Gilbert de Nevil, the companion in arms of the William the Conqueror who many believe was the Duke's Admiral but there is no mention of him in the Domesday Book. 2

Another early record shows Ranulph de Nevill of Raby, Durham, being summoned to Parliament as a Baron on June 8, 1294. Ralph Neville (died 1244) served as Lord Chancellor of England, Bishop of Chichester and was Archbishop of Canterbury elect from 1231 to 1232.

Wargrave in Berkshire was home to another branch of the family. "The living is a vicarage, valued in the king's books at £13. 13. 6½., and in the gift of the lord of the manor and impropriator, Lord Braybrooke, to whose ancestor, Sir Henry Nevill, the Billingbear estates, and the hundred of Wargrave, anciently attached to the see of Winchester, were granted by Edward VI." 3

Another branch of the family was found at Dalton-Piercy in Durham. "In 1370, Henry, Lord Percy, sold this manor to Sir John Nevile, of Raby; and it remained with the descendants of that proprietor until the forfeiture by the family, since which time the lands have been divided." 3

"[Liversedge in the West Riding of Yorkshire] was anciently the property of the Neville family, lords of the manor, of whose mansion, Liversedge Hall, there are still some slight remains." 3

Early History of the Nevile family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Nevile research. Another 259 words (18 lines of text) covering the years 1100, 1200, 1364, 1379, 1385, 1388, 1397, 1425, 1426, 1428, 1431, 1461, 1470, 1471, 1615, 1620, 1625, 1631, 1651, 1655, 1661, 1668, 1675, 1676, 1680, 1681, 1685, 1692, 1694, 1697, 1712, 1717 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Nevile History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Nevile Spelling Variations

Endless spelling variations are a prevailing characteristic of Norman surnames. Old and Middle English lacked any definite spelling rules, and the introduction of Norman French added an unfamiliar ingredient to the English linguistic stew. French and Latin, the languages of the court, also influenced spellings. Finally, Medieval scribes generally spelled words according to how they sounded, so one person was often referred to by different spellings in different documents. The name has been spelled Neville, Navelle, Nevile, Nevil, Nevill and others.

Early Notables of the Nevile family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was

Sir Christopher Nevile (ca. 1631-1692), of Haddington, Aubourn, Lincolnshire, was an English Member of Parliament, High Sheriff of Lincolnshire for 1680-1681. Henry Neville (1620-1694) was an English...

Migration of the Nevile family to Ireland

Some of the Nevile family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 61 words (4 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Nevile migration to the United States +

To escape the political and religious persecution within England at the time, many English families left for the various British colonies abroad. The voyage was extremely difficult, though, and the cramped, dank ships caused many to arrive in the New World diseased and starving. But for those who made it, the trip was most often worth it. Many of the families who arrived went on to make valuable contributions to the emerging nations of Canada and the United States. An inquiry into the early roots of North American families reveals a number of immigrants bearing the name Nevile or a variant listed above:

Nevile Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

James Nevile, who landed in Mississippi in 1799 4
Philip Nevile, who arrived in Mississippi in 1799 4

Nevile Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

J Nevile, who arrived in San Francisco, California in 1860 4

Contemporary Notables of the name Nevile (post 1700) +

Sir Horace Nevile Blakiston (1861-1936), 5th Baronet of London
Rev. Edward Nevile Blakiston (1864-1952), Vicar in Avonside, Christchurch, New Zealand (1931-1932)
Sir Nevile Lubbock KCMG (1839-1914), President of the West India Committee and an English amateur cricketer

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.
Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
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)