Stould History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Scotland

The origins of the Stould name lie with England's ancient Anglo-Saxon culture. It comes from when the family lived in one of the many English places called Stow. However, in Worcestershire, the Old English word stow, which means place, or more specifically, holy place, was retained as part of the common vocabulary of Old English. 1

Experts theorize that in this county, the surname Stould alludes to residence by a monastery or church. Thus, the surname Stould belongs to both the large category of Anglo-Saxon habitation names, which are derived from pre-existing names for towns, villages, parishes, or farmsteads, and the class of topographic surnames, which were given to people who resided near physical features such as hills, streams, churches, or types of trees.

Early Origins of the Stould family

The surname Stould was first found in Cambridgeshire. Although the name has long existed as both a place and personal name in various counties, including Cambridgeshire, Essex, Gloucestershire, Lincolnshire, Norfolk, Shropshire, and Suffolk.

Stow Fair was a medieval fair inaugurated in 1233 and held on the 23rd of June each year at a place now called Stow Green Hill in Lincolnshire. The fair continued through the centuries until 1954. Stowe or Stow is also a small village and civil parish in Shropshire, England.

One branch of the family was found at Bedingham in Norfolk. "The church [of Bedingham] consists of a nave, chancel, and aisles, with a chapel at the east end of each aisle, and a circular tower the upper part of which is octagonal; the font is curiously sculptured, and in the chancel are some handsome monuments to the Stow family." 2

The Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 had the following early entries: Baldwin de Stow, Cambridgeshire; Warin de Stowe, Cambridgeshire; Fulk de Stow, Lincolnshire; and Oda de Stow, Lincolnshire. Over 100 years later, Ricardus de Stowe was listed in the Yorkshires Poll Tax Rolls of 1379. 3

Cheshire was an early family seat of the family and it is here that records predate the Cambridgeshire entries. The Saxon Wlnobus de Sloue was listed here c. 975 and the Pipe Rolls of 1190 list Osbert de Stowa. 4

Farther to the north in Scotland, "there is a parish of this name in Midlothian. Johan de Stowe, persone of the church of Gleinkerny in the Meirnes, rendered homage [to King Edward I of England in] 1296. Adam Stowe was one of an inquest in Dundee, 1321. " 5

Interestingly, Stow is a parish, in the union of Gainsborough, wapentake of Well, parts of Lindsey in Lincolnshire. "This place is generally supposed to have been the Sidnacester of the Romans, and the seat of a Saxon bishopric from about 678 to 959. The ancient Watlingstreet passes near. A nunnery was founded by Godiva, wife of Leofric, Earl of Mercia, who also, with her husband, greatly augmented the revenue of Stow church, which had been built and endowed for secular priests by Eadnorth, Bishop of Dorchester." 2

The Stout variant is most interesting in that the name and its variants were initially found at opposite ends of ancient England. To the north, Osbert Stute, Stutte was listed in the Pipe Rolls for Yorkshire in 1190-1191 while Hanry atte Stoute was found in Devon in 1330 where "Henry lived at Stout Farm in Yarcombe." 4

Other early rolls listed William Stutte, Stute, le Estut, Stut in the Assize Rolls for Lincolnshire in 1219 and later in the Assize Rolls for Worcestershire in 1221. William Estoute was found in the Subsidy Rolls for Sussex in 1327. 4

The Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379 listed two from the family: Willelmus Stoute; and Johannes Stoute as both holding lands there at that time. 3

Early History of the Stould family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Stould research. Another 182 words (13 lines of text) covering the years 1190, 1315, 1525, 1544, 1588, 1601, 1602, 1605, 1793, 1816, 1864, 1891, 1907 and 1953 are included under the topic Early Stould History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Stould Spelling Variations

Before the last few hundred years, the English language had no fast system of spelling rules. For that reason, spelling variations are commonly found in early Anglo-Saxon surnames. Over the years, many variations of the name Stould were recorded, including Stow, Stowe, Stoue and others.

Early Notables of the Stould family

Distinguished members of the family include John Stow (c. 1525-1605), English chronicler and antiquarian who has left us some of the most valuable accounts of life in London and England in the 16th century. He was born about 1525 in the parish of St. Michael, Cornhill, London, of which his father and grandfather were parishioners. "He describes himself in his youth as fetching milk 'hot from the kine' from a farm in the Minories. In early life he followed the trade of a tailor, which was doubtless his father's occupation. In 1544 a false charge, which is not defined, was brought...
Another 145 words (10 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Stould Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Stould family

To escape oppression and starvation at that time, many English families left for the "open frontiers" of the New World with all its perceived opportunities. In droves people migrated to the many British colonies, those in North America in particular, paying high rates for passages in cramped, unsafe ships. Although many of the settlers did not make the long passage alive, those who did see the shores of North America perceived great opportunities before them. Many of the families that came from England went on to make essential contributions to the emerging nations of Canada and the United States. Research into various historical records revealed some of first members of the Stould family emigrate to North America: Abraham Stow, a bonded passenger, who arrived in America in 1775; Benjamin Stow, who was one of the first settlers of South Carolina, arriving in 1678.

Citations +

Smith, Eldson Coles, New Dictionary of American Family Names New York: Harper & Row, 1956. Print
Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
Black, George F., The Surnames of Scotland Their Origin, Meaning and History. New York: New York Public Library, 1946. Print. (ISBN 0-87104-172-3)