Show ContentsParcil History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The vast movement of people that followed the Norman Conquest of England of 1066 brought the Parcil family name to the British Isles. They lived in Staffordshire, at Pearsall, from whence they took their name. "The family are of Norman origin, having been founded, at the place referred to, by Robert, a follower of Robert of Stafford, early in the reign of the Conqueror. He was son of Gilbert, son of Richard, Count of Corbeil in Normandy." 1

Early Origins of the Parcil family

The surname Parcil was first found in Staffordshire where they held an estate now known as Pearshall, Peshale or Pershall. 2

Robert Fitz Gilbert de Corbeil, acquired the manor of Peshale, and his son Robert was the first to begin calling himself de Peshale after the name of this manor. 3

Another early record was found in the "Testa de Nevill, sive Liber Feodorum, temp. Henry III-Edward I." which listed Thomas de Peshale, Staffordshire. 4

Early History of the Parcil family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Parcil research. Another 123 words (9 lines of text) covering the years 1341, 1374, 1376, 1531, 1539, 1629, 1633, 1634, 1653, 1670, 1676, 1696, 1702, 1795 and 1856 are included under the topic Early Parcil History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Parcil Spelling Variations

A multitude of spelling variations characterize Norman surnames. Many variations occurred because Old and Middle English lacked any definite spelling rules. The introduction of Norman French to England also had a pronounced effect, as did the court languages of Latin and French. Therefore, one person was often referred to by several different spellings in a single lifetime. The various spellings include Pearsall, Pershall, Persall, Parsil, Parcell, Parcel and many more.

Early Notables of the Parcil family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was John Persall (1633-1702), alias Harcourt, English Jesuit, born in Staffordshire in 1633, from of an ancient Catholic family there, vice-provincial of England in 1696. He entered the...
Another 35 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Parcil Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.


Parcil migration to the United States +

Many English families left England, to avoid the chaos of their homeland and migrated to the many British colonies abroad. Although the conditions on the ships were extremely cramped, and some travelers arrived diseased, starving, and destitute, once in the colonies, many of the families prospered and made valuable contributions to the cultures of what would become the United States and Canada. Research into the origins of individual families in North America has revealed records of the immigration of a number of people bearing the name Parcil or a variant listed above:

Parcil Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
  • John Parcil, who arrived in Long Island in 1642 5


  1. Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
  2. Harrison, Henry, Surnames of the United Kingdom: A Concise Etymological Dictionary Baltimore: Geneological Publishing Company, 2013. Print
  3. Cleveland, Dutchess of The Battle Abbey Roll with some Account of the Norman Lineages. London: John Murray, Abermarle Street, 1889. Print. Volume 2 of 3
  4. Testa de Nevill or "Liber Feodorum" or "Book of Fees," thought to have been written by Ralph de Nevill, for King John (1199–1216)
  5. 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)


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