Witchell History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Germany

Early Origins of the Witchell family

The surname Witchell was first found in Worcestershire where they held a family seat as Lords of the Manor. The Saxon influence of English history diminished after the Battle of Hastings in 1066. The language of the courts was French for the next three centuries and the Norman ambience prevailed. But Saxon surnames survived and the family name was first referenced in the year 1322 when Richard Witchell held estates in that shire.

Early History of the Witchell family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Witchell research. Another 85 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1455 and 1487 are included under the topic Early Witchell History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Witchell Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Witchell, Wichell, Whitchild, Witchill, Wichill, Gwitchel, Gitchell, Gichell, Wichello and many more.

Early Notables of the Witchell family

Distinguished members of the family include

the Witchell family of Worcestershire

Witchell migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Witchell Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

John Witchell, aged 21, who arrived in Ohio in 1812 [1]
Samuel Witchell, who landed in Allegany (Allegheny) County, Pennsylvania in 1878 [1]

Witchell migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Witchell Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Mr. William Witchell, English convict who was convicted in Gloucester, Gloucestershire, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Eliza" on 2nd February 1831, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) [2]
Mr. Charles Thomas Witchell, English convict who was convicted in London, England for 10 years, transported aboard the "Fairlie" on 9th Mary 1852, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Island) [3]

Witchell migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Witchell Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Mr. George Witchell, (b. 1844), aged 17, English gardener, from Gloucestershire travelling from London aboard the ship "Royal Stuart" arriving in Lyttlelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 8th October 1861 [4]

Contemporary Notables of the name Witchell (post 1700) +

Henry Witchell (1906-1965), English cricketer born at Dursley, Gloucestershire
Edwin Witchell (1823-1887), English geologist, his father Edward Witchell of Nympsfield, Gloucestershire was a yeoman of good standing [5]
Jonathan Witchell (1974-2007), British BBC reporter who worked for Radio Kent from 1998 until his death
Nicholas Newton Henshall Witchell (b. 1953), British journalist and news presenter, former royal correspondent for BBC News
Norman Witchell Biggs (1870-1908), Welsh international rugby union winger

Citations +

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)
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 28th February 2022). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/eliza
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 26th September 2022). https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/fairlie
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 26th March 2019). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
Wikisource contributors. "Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900." Wikisource . Wikisource , 4 Jun. 2018. Web. 5 Feb. 2019