Peircall History, Family Crest & Coats of ArmsEtymology of PeircallWhat does the name Peircall mean? The Norman Conquest of England in 1066 added many new elements to an already vibrant culture. Among these were thousands of new names. The Peircall family 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 Peircall familyThe surname Peircall 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 Peircall familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Peircall 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 Peircall History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Peircall Spelling VariationsNorman surnames are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. The frequent changes in surnames are largely due to the fact that the Old and Middle English languages lacked definite spelling rules. The introduction of Norman French to England, as well as the official court languages of Latin and French, also had pronounced influences on the spelling of surnames. Since medieval scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded, rather than adhering to any specific spelling rules, it was common to find the same individual referred to with different spellings. The name has been spelled Pearsall, Pershall, Persall, Parsil, Parcell, Parcel and many more. Early Notables of the Peircall familyOutstanding 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... Migration of the Peircall familyMany English families emigrated to North American colonies in order to escape the political chaos in Britain at this time. Unfortunately, many English families made the trip to the New World 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 stormy Atlantic. Despite these hardships, many of the families prospered and went on to make invaluable contributions to the development of the cultures of the United States and Canada. Early North American immigration records have revealed a number of people bearing the name Peircall or a variant listed above: Jonas Parshall, who settled in Virginia in 1620; Thomas Pearsall, who arrived in Virginia in 1631; Henry Pearsall, who arrived in Long Island in 1657.
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