Towrvyle is one of the many new names that came to
England following the
Norman Conquest of 1066. The Towrvyle family lived in
Leicestershire. Their name, however, is a reference to
Turville-la- Champagne, Normandy, the family's place of residence prior to the
Norman Conquest of
England in 1066. However, some believe the name is Anglo Saxon in origin, and meant 'dry field'. In the
Anglo-Saxon Chronicle the name was recorded in 796 as Thyrefeld. Regardless of the origin, Ralph Turvill, a benefactor of the abbey of Leicester was the first record of the name in 1297.
Early Origins of the Towrvyle family
The surname Towrvyle was first found in
Leicestershire where they held a
family seat as Lords of the Manor of Herdebere, Pailington, Bedworth, Chelmscote, Fulbrooke, and Nuneaton. Normanton Turvile was their main seat. William de Turvile, a companion in arms of Duke William at the Battle of Hastings in 1066, was the first settler. William was descended from the Turville-la-
Champagne, seated at Eure, at Amfreville-la-
Champagne. In
Buckinghamshire, the manor of Turville once belonged to the abbey at St Albans, but was seized by the Crown in the Dissolution of the Monasteries in 1547. The manor house has since been rebuilt as Turville Park, a fine stately home in the village of Turville.
Early History of the Towrvyle family
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Towrvyle research.
Another 203 words (14 lines of text) covering the years 1235 and 1250 are included under the topic Early Towrvyle History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Towrvyle Spelling Variations
Anglo-Norman names are characterized by a multitude of
spelling variations. When the
Normans became the ruling people of
England in the 11th century, they introduced a new language into a society where the main languages of Old and later Middle English had no definite spelling rules. These languages were more often spoken than written, so they blended freely with one another. Contributing to this mixing of tongues was the fact that medieval scribes spelled words according to sound, ensuring that a person's name would appear differently in nearly every document in which it was recorded. The name has been spelled Turvile, Turville, Tourville, Tourvile, Turvell, Turvill, Turvil and many more.
Early Notables of the Towrvyle family (pre 1700)
Another 39 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Towrvyle Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Migration of the Towrvyle family to the New World and Oceana
For many English families, the political and religious disarray that plagued their homeland made the frontiers of the New World an attractive prospect. Thousands migrated, aboard cramped disease-ridden ships. They arrived sick, poor, and hungry, but were welcomed in many cases with far greater opportunity than at home in
England. Many of these hardy settlers went on to make important contributions to the emerging nations in which they landed. Among early immigrants bearing the name Towrvyle or a variant listed above were: Ann Turvel who landed in North America in 1771.
The Towrvyle 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: Virtus semper eadem
Motto Translation: Virtue is always the same.