Purslo History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

The name Purslo is part of the ancient legacy of the Anglo-Saxon tribes of Britain. It is a product of when the family lived in Purslow, in Shropshire. The place-name is derived from the Old English personal name Pussa and the Old English word hlaw. A hlaw is a burial mound; in Modern English the word for a burial mound is tumulus, which is derived from Latin. The place-name as a whole means "burial mound of a man named Pussa."

Early Origins of the Purslo family

The surname Purslo was first found in Shropshire at Purslow, a hamlet that dates back to the Domesday Book where it was listed as Possalau. The place name is derived from the Old English words personal name + hlaw, and literally means "tumulus (mound of earth and stones) of a man called Pussa." 1 Of interest is a certain Robert Parslow. " It is traditionally said that a military chest of money was left at the house of Robert Parslow, in the town [of Watlington in Oxfordshire], and never afterwards claimed, in consequence of which he bequeathed a liberal donation to the poor of the parish." 2

Early History of the Purslo family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Purslo research. Another 61 words (4 lines of text) covering the years 1500, 1533, 1558, 1559, 1563 and 1579 are included under the topic Early Purslo History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Purslo Spelling Variations

The first dictionaries that appeared in the last few hundred years did much to standardize the English language. Before that time, spelling variations in names were a common occurrence. The language was changing, incorporating pieces of other languages, and the spelling of names changed with it. Purslo has been spelled many different ways, including Purslow, Purseglove, Purselove, Pursley, Pursly and others.

Early Notables of the Purslo family

Notables of this surname at this time include:

Nicholas Purslow (by 1533-1563), of the Inner Temple, London, an English politician, Member of the Parliament for Appleby in 1558 and Morpeth in 1559

Migration of the Purslo family

Thousands of English families in this era began to emigrate the New World in search of land and freedom from religious and political persecution. Although the passage was expensive and the ships were dark, crowded, and unsafe, those who made the voyage safely were rewarded with opportunities unavailable to them in their homeland. Research into passenger and immigration lists has revealed some of the very first Purslos to arrive in North America: James Pursley settled in Barbados in 1679; David, George, Robert and William Pursley all arrived in Philadelphia between 1840 and 1870; John Purslow (Purslone) arrived in Philadelphia in 1677.

Citations +

Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.