The ancient history of the Petwel name begins with the ancient Anglo-Saxon tribes of Britain. The name is derived from when the family resided in the village of Pitfield in the county of Middlesex. The surname was originally derived from the Old English word pyt which referred to an area that was pitted. The original bearers of the surname Petwel lived in an area that was known for its many hollows of pitted ground,
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Early Origins of the Petwel family
The surname Petwel was first found in Middlesex where they held a family seat from ancient times, some say before the Norman Conquest in 1066.
Early History of the Petwel family
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Petwel research. Another 127 words (9 lines of text) covering the years 1066 and 1086 are included under the topic Early Petwel History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Petwel 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 Petwel include Pittfield, Pitfield, Pitfeild, Pitfeld, Pittfeld, Pitville, Pittville, Petfield, Pettfield, Petwell, Pitfell, Pittfell, Pitwell and many more.
Early Notables of the Petwel family
More information is included under the topic Early Petwel Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
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Migration of the Petwel 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 Petwel or a variant listed above: Robert Petwell, who settled in Virginia in 1636; Mary Pitfield, who arrived in Maryland in 1663; John Bryan Pitfield, who was naturalized in New York, NY in 1832.
