Piersol History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

Piersol is a name of ancient Norman origin. It arrived in England with the Norman Conquest of 1066. The Piersol 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 Piersol family

The surname Piersol 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 Piersol family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Piersol 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 Piersol History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Piersol Spelling Variations

Multitudes of spelling variations are a hallmark of Anglo Norman names. Most of these names evolved in the 11th and 12th century, in the time after the Normans introduced their own Norman French language into a country where Old and Middle English had no spelling rules and the languages of the court were French and Latin. To make matters worse, medieval scribes spelled words according to sound, so names frequently appeared differently in the various documents in which they were recorded. The name was spelled Pearsall, Pershall, Persall, Parsil, Parcell, Parcel and many more.

Early Notables of the Piersol 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 Piersol Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Piersol migration to the United States +

Because of this political and religious unrest within English society, many people decided to immigrate to the colonies. Families left for Ireland, North America, and Australia in enormous numbers, travelling at high cost in extremely inhospitable conditions. The New World in particular was a desirable destination, but the long voyage caused many to arrive sick and starving. Those who made it, though, were welcomed by opportunities far greater than they had known at home in England. Many of these families went on to make important contributions to the emerging nations of Canada and the United States. Analysis of immigration records indicates that some of the first North American immigrants bore the name Piersol or a variant listed above:

Piersol Settlers in United States in the 20th Century

James L. Piersol, aged 47, who immigrated to America, in 1903
Mrs. Leo A. Piersol, aged 42, who immigrated to the United States, in 1903
George M. Piersol, aged 27, who landed in America, in 1907
Florence L Piersol, aged 43, who immigrated to the United States, in 1908
Edwin Piersol, aged 44, who immigrated to the United States, in 1911
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Piersol (post 1700) +

Catherine Piersol, American Democratic Party politician, Delegate to Democratic National Convention from South Dakota, 2008 5
Lawrence Leroy Piersol (b. 1940), United States federal jurist, Judge of the United States District Court for the District of South Dakota (1993-2009)
John Piersol McCaskey (1837-1934), American politician, 23rd Mayor of Lancaster, Pennsylvania from 1907 to 1911

Citations +

Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
Harrison, Henry, Surnames of the United Kingdom: A Concise Etymological Dictionary Baltimore: Geneological Publishing Company, 2013. Print
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
Testa de Nevill or "Liber Feodorum" or "Book of Fees," thought to have been written by Ralph de Nevill, for King John (1199–1216)
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, November 13) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html