Pennel History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

Early Origins of the Pennel family

The surname Pennel was first found in the Domesday Book of 1086 where Ralph Pinel held a barony in Essex and Suffolk. 1 2

"It is impossible to decide to which of the Norman families of the name belonged. Several of the name are found in the Norman Exchequer Rolls of 1180-98. Ralph Pinel held four fees in 1165 of the Earl of Essex in Essex, and some land in Berkshire under Fitz Robert and Fitz Peter, another of whose tenants was Anchetil Pinel. There is some hint of a previous scandal in the family. In the Pipe Roll of 12 John, " Robert Vanx owes five best palfreys, that the King may be silent regarding Henry Pinel's wife." The Oxfordshire fee of Warin Pinel (then deceased) is spoken of in the Testa de Nevill; 3 and in 1278, Roger Pinel, Robert Pinel's widow, and Margaret, daughter of William Pinel, were all landowners in the county. Contemporary with them were Matthew Pinel of Suffolk, his brother Hugh, and Henry Pinel of Huntingdonshire." 4

The Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 included: John Pinel, Essex; Henry Pinel, Huntingdonshire; Roger Pinel, Oxfordshire; and Mathew Pinel, Suffolk. 5

Early History of the Pennel family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Pennel research. Another 115 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1455, 1487 and 1867 are included under the topic Early Pennel History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Pennel Spelling Variations

Until quite recently, the English language has lacked a definite system of spelling rules. Consequently, Anglo-Saxon surnames are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. Changes in Anglo-Saxon names were influenced by the evolution of the English language, as it incorporated elements of French, Latin, and other languages. Although Medieval scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded, so it is common to find one person referred to by several different spellings of his surname, even the most literate people varied the spelling of their own names. Variations of the name Pennel include Pennell, Pennel, Penell, Pennall, Pennells, Pennalls, Penal and many more.

Early Notables of the Pennel family

Distinguished members of the family include

Pennell of Essex

Migration of the Pennel family

Searching for a better life, many English families migrated to British colonies. Unfortunately, the majority of them traveled 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 ocean. For those families that arrived safely, modest prosperity was attainable, and many went on to make invaluable contributions to the development of the cultures of the new colonies. Research into the origins of individual families in North America revealed records of the immigration of a number of people bearing the name Pennel or a variant listed above: George Pennell settled in Virginia 1655; Thomas Pennell settled in New England in 1740.

Citations +

Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
Testa de Nevill or "Liber Feodorum" or "Book of Fees," thought to have been written by Ralph de Nevill, for King John (1199–1216)
Cleveland, Dutchess of The Battle Abbey Roll with some Account of the Norman Lineages. London: John Murray, Abermarle Street, 1889. Print. Volume 3 of 3
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)