Toulmin History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

The name Toulmin is a nickname for 'the tall man,' 1 2 or in some cases an occupational name derived from the Old English words "toll" and "mann" for a 'tollman, a collector of tolls.' 3

Two sources claim the name was derived from the Middle English 'tal' which meant 'willing, obedient' as in 'the able, obedient servant.' 4 5

Early Origins of the Toulmin family

The surname Toulmin was first found in Lincolnshire where Hereward Tholeman was listed in the Assize Rolls or 1219. Later, William Tolman was found in the Subsidy Rolls for Somerset in 1327. 3

Again in Somerset, we found Walter Talman registered there 1 Edward III (during the first year of King Edward III's reign.) 6

Early History of the Toulmin family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Toulmin research. Another 57 words (4 lines of text) covering the years 1327, 1650, 1658, 1671, 1677, 1678, 1687, 1690, 1693, 1698, 1706, 1715, 1717, 1718, 1719 and 1726 are included under the topic Early Toulmin History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Toulmin 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 Toulmin include Tollman, Tolman, Toleman, Tholeman, Tolleman, Tolmond, Toolman, Toulman and many more.

Early Notables of the Toulmin family

Distinguished members of the family include William Talman (1650-1719), an English architect and landscape designer, a pupil of Sir Christopher Wren, in 1678 he and Thomas Apprice gained the office of King's Waiter in the Port of London. He was born at West Lavington in Wiltshire, where he owned some property. He attained considerable repute as an architect and surveyor, and was employed on several important buildings, notably Thoresby House, Nottinghamshire, commenced in 1671 for the Duke of Kingston; Dynham House, Gloucestershire, commenced in 1698 for William Blathwayt; Swallowfield in Berkshire, for Henry, earl of Clarendon; and Chatsworth, in Derbyshire, for...
Another 167 words (12 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Toulmin Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Toulmin migration to the United States +

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 Toulmin or a variant listed above:

Toulmin Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Jesse Toulmin, who landed in Mobile, Ala in 1822 7

Contemporary Notables of the name Toulmin (post 1700) +

Bertha Louise Townsend Toulmin (1869-1909), American female tennis player, inductee into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 1974
Joshua Toulmin (1740-1815), English dissenting historian and biographer, born in London, son of Caleb Toulmin of Aldersgate Street
Camilla Toulmin (1812-1895), birth name of Mrs. Newton Crosland, English miscellaneous writer, born at Aldermanbury, London, where her father, William Toulmin, practised as a solicitor
Theophilus Toulmin Garrard (1812-1902), American politician and Union general in the American Civil War

Citations +

Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
Harrison, Henry, Surnames of the United Kingdom: A Concise Etymological Dictionary Baltimore: Geneological Publishing Company, 2013. Print
Smith, Eldson Coles, New Dictionary of American Family Names New York: Harper & Row, 1956. Print
Dickinson, F.H., Kirby's Quest for Somerset of 16th of Edward the 3rd London: Harrison and Sons, Printers in Ordinary to Her Majesty, St, Martin's Lane, 1889. Print.
Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)