Show ContentsTowlard History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The Anglo-Saxon name Towlard comes from when its first bearer worked as a person charged with the duty of collecting taxes. The surname Towlard is derived from the Old English word tollere, which means tax-gatherer. 1

We must take a moment to explore the origin of the Coat of Arms. And to do so, we provide this interesting quotation: "I turned to Anselme's great work on the peers and nobles of France, in hopes of finding, under his account of the Sovereign Counts of Toulouse, some reference to works which might enable me to pursue the inquiry. The volume was accordingly opened which contains the history of the Counts of Toulouse, when, to my extreme astonishment, I recognized the arms of the English Tolers or Towlers at the head of the history of that great house. Their arms were the hereditary emblems of that almost kingly race in all its branches—the well-known 'Cross of Toulouse' being a cross fleury voided (i.e. in skeleton), which Enghsh heralds had described as a cross fleury surmounted by another cross. Of course all these various families of Toler, Toller, and others, bearing the Cross of Toulouse, were identified as one in origin, and as, no doubt, descendants of the princely house whose name and arms they have borne from the eleventh century." 2

Early Origins of the Towlard family

The surname Towlard was first found in Cornwall and West Dorset where the name was derived from the River Toller (now named River Hooke.) Locals Toller Whelme, Toller Fratrum, and Toller Porcorum can still be found in this county today. Collectivelly, they date date back to the Domesday Survey when they were listed as Tolre. 3 "Toller is an old Celtic river-name meaning 'hollow stream.'" 4

However, the first record of the family was found in Lincolnshire where Robert Toller was listed in the Pipe Rolls of 1199. Later, William and John Tollere were found in the Assize Rolls of Yorkshire in 1251 and 1255. 5

The Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379 included: Willelmus Toller; and Robertus Toller as both holding lands there at that time. 6

To the north in Scotland, "Hugh Toller, Ambrose Toller, and Nicholas Toller witnessed sale of land in Glasgow, c. 1280-1290. Elene Tollare, wife of Willelmus Dubrelle in Inverkethine, is on record in 1392." 7

Early History of the Towlard family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Towlard research. Another 87 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1428, 1602, 1692, 1732, 1761, 1795, 1800, 1821 and 1827 are included under the topic Early Towlard History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Towlard 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 Towlard include Toler, Tolar, Toller, Tollers, Tolers, Towler and many more.

Early Notables of the Towlard family

Another 38 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Towlard Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Ireland Migration of the Towlard family to Ireland

Some of the Towlard family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 153 words (11 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 Towlard family

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 Towlard or a variant listed above: Marie Toller who settled in New England in 1635; Daniel Toller settled in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1802; Daniel Towler settled in Philadelphia in 1854.



The Towlard Motto +

The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.

Motto: Regi et patriæ fidelis
Motto Translation: Faithful to king and law.


  1. Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
  2. Cleveland, Dutchess of The Battle Abbey Roll with some Account of the Norman Lineages. London: John Murray, Abermarle Street, 1889. Print. Volume 3 of 3
  3. Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
  4. Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
  5. Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
  6. Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
  7. 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)


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