Odingsell is an ancient Norman name that arrived in England after the Norman Conquest of 1066. The Odingsell family lived in Warwickshire.
The surname Odingsell was first found in Warwickshire at Maxtoke, a parish, in the union of Meriden, Atherstone division of the hundred of Hemlingford. "
This place, written Machintone in Domesday Book, is therein certified as having woods one mile in length and half a mile in breadth. William de Odingsells, in the reign of Henry III., had a charter of free warren in all his demesne lands here; and his son and successor claimed by prescription, in the reign of Edward I., a court-leet, with gallows, tumbrell, and assize of bread and beer, which were allowed." [1]
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Odingsell research. Another 48 words (3 lines of text) covering the years 113 and 1130 are included under the topic Early Odingsell History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
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 Odingsells, Odingsell, Odingells, Odingell, Odingsleigh, Odingsly, Odingslie, Odingsley and many more.
More information is included under the topic Early Odingsell Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
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 Odingsell or a variant listed above: Thomas Odingsells who settled in Salem Massachusetts in 1635.