Sammwill History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

Etymology of Sammwill

What does the name Sammwill mean?

The name Sammwill originated with the Anglo-Saxon tribes that once ruled Britain. It is derived from the baptismal name for the son of Samuel. This ancient Hebrew font name meaning name of God was not common in the Middle Ages, but was not necessarily of Jewish origin. There were many records of the surname Sammwill of English descent.

Early Origins of the Sammwill family

The surname Sammwill was first found in Cornwall where they held a family seat from early times. The family name first appeared on the early census rolls taken by the early Kings of Britain to determine the rate of taxation of their subjects.

Early History of the Sammwill family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Sammwill research. Another 76 words (5 lines of text) covering the years 1551, 1559, 1569, 1628, 1654, 1674, 1676, 1689, 1690, 1694, 1705 and 1748 are included under the topic Early Sammwill History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Sammwill Spelling Variations

One relatively recent invention that did much to standardize English spelling was the printing press. However, before its invention even the most literate people recorded their names according to sound rather than spelling. The spelling variations under which the name Sammwill has appeared include Samwell, Samuel, Samuell, Samway, Samuels and others.

Early Notables of the Sammwill family

William Samuel (fl. 1551-1569), English divine and poet, perhaps connected with the Samwells of Northampton; Sir William Samwell (1559-1628), Auditor of the Exchequer to Queen Elizabeth I of England; William Samwell (1628-1676) was an English architect; and Sir Thomas Samwell, 1st Baronet (c.1654-1694), Member of Parliament for Northamptonshire from 1689 to 1690 and Northampton from 1690 to 1694. Edward Samuel (1674-1748), Welsh divine, son of Edward Samuel, was born in...
Another 70 words (5 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Sammwill Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Sammwill family to Ireland

Some of the Sammwill family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 31 words (2 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Sammwill family

At this time, the shores of the New World beckoned many English families that felt that the social climate in England was oppressive and lacked opportunity for change. Thousands left England at great expense in ships that were overcrowded and full of disease. A great portion of these settlers never survived the journey and even a greater number arrived sick, starving, and without a penny. The survivors, however, were often greeted with greater opportunity than they could have experienced back home. These English settlers made significant contributions to those colonies that would eventually become the United States and Canada. An examination of early immigration records and passenger ship lists revealed that people bearing the name Sammwill arrived in North America very early: John Samuel settled in Nantasket in 1630; Roger Samuel settled in Barbados in 1684; Edward Samuel settled in Virginia in 1643; Rowland Samuell settled in Barbados in 1654..