Show ContentsTurroold History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Early Origins of the Turroold family

The surname Turroold was first found in Lincolnshire, where they claim descent from Theroldus de Buckenhuld, Sheriff of Lincolnshire in 1052 whose descendant Sir Richards Thorold of Selby was living during the reign of Edward III. He married Joan, daughter and heiress of Robert de Haugh, of Marston. And it is from this marriage a son was born, William Thorold, Lord of Marston. 1

Looking back further in Normandy, the family is a branch of the DeVers, from Ver near Bayeux where Alberic de Ver witnessed a Breton charter in 1058. 2 "It comes to us from Normandy, where Turold was one of the preceptors of William the Conqueror, and his Grand-Constable at the time on the Conquest. The name TUROLD occurs upon the Bayeux Tapestry, designating one of the ambassadors dispatched by the Norman Duke to Guy, Earl of Ponthieu. " 3

Turold (fl. 1075-1100), was an English romance-writer and has been considered by some as the author of the 'Chanson de Roland.' "Its attribution to a person of that name, a common enough one in the eleventh century, rests on the last line of the poem in the oldest known manuscript of it in the Bodleian library at Oxford. " 4

Later listings of the name include: Toroudus, Toroldus presbiter 1143-1147 in Lincolnshire; Robertus filius Thoradi, a Templar in Yorkshire in 1185; and William Turolde listed in the Pipe Rolls for Gloucestershire in 1190. 5

Early History of the Turroold family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Turroold research. Another 61 words (4 lines of text) covering the years 1591, 1632, 1633, 1642, 1644, 1661, 1664, 1666, 1677, 1706, 1709, 1717, 1722, 1738 and 1740 are included under the topic Early Turroold History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Turroold Spelling Variations

A multitude of spelling variations characterize Norman surnames. Many variations occurred because Old and Middle English lacked any definite spelling rules. The introduction of Norman French to England also had a pronounced effect, as did the court languages of Latin and French. Therefore, one person was often referred to by several different spellings in a single lifetime. The various spellings include Thorold, Thorald, Thorrold, Thorrald, Therould and others.

Early Notables of the Turroold family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was Sir Samuel Thorold of Harmeston; Sir William Thorold, 1st Baronet (1591-1677), an English landowner and politician who sat in the House of Commons from 1661 to 1677, and Sheriff of Lincolnshire from 1632 to 1633; Sir John Thorold, 4th Baronet (1664-1717), an English politician, Member of Parliament for Grantham and Lincolnshire; and Sir George Thorold, 1st Baronet (c. 1666-1722) of Harmston, Lincolnshire, a leading London merchant. There have been four baronetcies created for members of the Thorold family of Lincolnshire. The Thorold Baronetcy, of Marston in the County of Lincoln, was created in the...
Another 142 words (10 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Turroold Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Turroold family

Many English families left England, to avoid the chaos of their homeland and migrated to the many British colonies abroad. Although the conditions on the ships were extremely cramped, and some travelers arrived diseased, starving, and destitute, once in the colonies, many of the families prospered and made valuable contributions to the cultures of what would become the United States and Canada. Research into the origins of individual families in North America has revealed records of the immigration of a number of people bearing the name Turroold or a variant listed above: Jacob and Sarah Therould settled in New York in 1686 with two children.



The Turroold 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: Cervus non servus
Motto Translation: A stag not enslaved.


  1. Burke, Sir Bernard, C.B. LL.D The General Armory of England Scotland, Ireland and Wales. London: Harrison, 59, Pall Mall, 1884, Print.
  2. The Norman People and Their Existing Descendants in the British Dominions and the United States Of America. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing, 1975. Print. (ISBN 0-8063-0636-X)
  3. Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
  4. Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print
  5. Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)


Houseofnames.com on Facebook