England
IrelandThe ancestors of the name Pallam date back to the days of the Anglo-Saxon tribes of Britain. The name is derived from their residence in the region of Pelham. Pallam is a topographic surname, which was given to a person who resided near a physical feature such as a hill, stream, church, or type of tree. Habitation names form the other broad category of surnames that were derived from place-names. They were derived from pre-existing names for towns, villages, parishes, or farmsteads. Other local names are derived from the names of houses, manors, estates, regions, and entire counties.
The surname Pallam was first found in Hertfordshire at either Brent Pelham, Furneux Pelham or Stocking Pelham. Today they form the civil parish of Brent Pelham and Meesden. They date back to the Domesday Book of 1086 where they were listed as Peleham. [1]
The place name literally means "homestead of a man called Peola." [2] Barndepelham was listed in 1230; Stokenepelham in 1235 and Pelham Furnelle in 1240. The prefixes literally mean "burnt, destroyed by fire" for the Old English word "baerned" and "made of logs" for the Old English word "stoccen." [2]
The latter was from the de Fornellis family who lived there in the 13th century. Pelham's Lands or Pelhams Land is in the union of Boston, wapentake of Kirton, near the town of Boston, Lincolnshire. [3]
The Pipe Rolls of 1170 in Hertfordshire listed Ralph de Pelham and Peter de Pelham was later found in the Assize Rolls for Cheshire in 1260. Gloucestershire records show William Pelham there in 1350. [4]
More early records of the family were found in the parish of Laughton in Sussex. "This parish, which is situated on the road from Lewes to Hastings, has been for ages the property of the Pelham family, earls of Chichester, whose ancient manorial mansion of Laughton Place, erected in 1534, is still remaining." [3]
Of particular note was Thomas Pelham, 1st Baron Pelham of Laughton Bt (1653-1712.) He was the father of two British prime ministers Henry Pelham and Thomas Pelham-Holles, commonly known as the Duke of Newcastle.
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Pallam research. Another 96 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1065, 1556, 1429, 1540, 1624, 1597, 1654, 1650, 1653, 1712, 1694, 1754, 1743, 1693, 1768, 1695, 1751, 1721, 1805, 1748, 1806, 1695, 1751, 1756, 1587, 1606, 1486, 1538, 1602 and 1603 are included under the topic Early Pallam History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Pallam has been spelled many different ways. Before English spelling became standardized over the last few hundred years, spelling variations in names were a common occurrence. As the English language changed in the Middle Ages, absorbing pieces of Latin and French, as well as other languages, the spelling of people's names also changed considerably, even over a single lifetime. Many variations of the name Pallam have been found, including Pelham, Pellam and others.
Notables of the family at this time include John de Pelham (died 1429), Treasurer of England, son of Sir John Pelham, a Sussex knight who fought in the wars of Edward III in France; Sir Thomas Pelham, 1st Baronet (c.1540-1624), Member of Parliament for Lewes, Surrey, and Sussex; Sir Thomas Pelham, 2nd Baronet (1597-c.1654), Member of Parliament for East Grinstead and Sussex; Sir Peregrine Pelham (died 1650), an English Member of Parliament and one of the regicides of King Charles I, 20th of the 59 signatories on the death warrant of the King; Thomas Pelham, 1st Baron Pelham (1653-1712) and his...
Another 103 words (7 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Pallam Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Migration of the Pallam family to IrelandSome of the Pallam family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 147 words (10 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
In an attempt to escape the chaos experienced in England, many English families boarded overcrowded and diseased ships sailing for the shores of North America and other British colonies. Those families hardy enough, and lucky enough, to make the passage intact were rewarded with land and a social environment less prone to religious and political persecution. Many of these families became important contributors to the young colonies in which they settled. Early immigration and passenger lists have documented some of the first Pallams to arrive on North American shores: William Pelham settled with Penelope in Salem Massachusetts in 1630; along with Herbert; William Pelham and his wife Mary settled in Virginia in 1774..
