Voxhale History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

The name Voxhale is an old Anglo-Saxon name. It comes from when a family lived in the parish of Foxhale in the county of Suffolk just miles from Ipswich. 1

Vauxhall (now in Greater London) dates back to 1279 when it was known as Faukeshale. This local has the same origin and literally meant "hall of manor of a man called Falkes." 2

Early Origins of the Voxhale family

The surname Voxhale was first found in Suffolk at Foxhall, (Foxhale) which dates back to at least the Domesday Book where it was listed as Foxehola and was about 15 acres in size located in the Hundred of Carlford. 3 By the late 1800s, the population had increased to about 200 inhabitants and was about 2,000 acres in size. Foxholes, a parish located in the East Riding of Yorkshire was listed as Foxele, Foxhole and Foxohole in the Domesday Book having derived from the Old English term "fox-hol" and literally meant "the fox holes, the fox's earth" 2 This parish is quite a bit bigger at about 4,210 acres in size.

Early English rolls provide us a glimpse of the spelling variations used through Medieval times. Today we typically need to look beyond the spellings of these entries and concentrate on on a phonetic appreciation of the names. William de Foxole was found in the Pipe Rolls for Kent in 1197; John de Foxales in the Hundredorum Rolls for Yorkshire in 1276 and John Foxholes was registered in 1406. 4

Early History of the Voxhale family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Voxhale research. Another 94 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1385 and 1640 are included under the topic Early Voxhale History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Voxhale 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 Voxhale were recorded, including Foxall, Foxhall, Foxall, Faxhall, Foxell and others.

Early Notables of the Voxhale family

More information is included under the topic Early Voxhale Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Voxhale family to Ireland

Some of the Voxhale family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt. More information about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Voxhale 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 Voxhale family emigrate to North America: John Faxel settled in Texas in 1846; Ann and William Foxall settled in New York in 1842; Thomas Foxhale settled in Pennsylvania in 1813.

Citations +

Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)