Withell One-Name Study

Withell
One-Name Study

Topics

About the Withell One-Name Study
Variants
Origin of the surname
Historical occurrences
Distribution of the name
Data
Links
Contact Details

About the Withell One-Name Study

The WITHELL ONE NAME STUDY had its origins in the Australian research done in the early 1970’s by Merrick Withell of Brisbane. In 1984 I began to expand the search to encompass our ancestors in Cornwall. Dr. W James Leahey had also been researching his family and in 1991 we combined our research. We have since been given help by a number of researchers worldwide, some with Cornish ancestry and others with Yorkshire ancestry.

The search for LOST WITHELLS began when we realized that although variations of the byname Withiel occurred in CORNWALL from as early as 1200, and had established by 1400 as a hereditary surname in several areas, in 1990 there were no Withells living in the county.

Here was a surname with a history in one area of nearly 800 years, which had completely disappeared from the county.

It had also become apparent that not all present day Withells worldwide have Cornish ancestry. There is a large group of Withells with roots traced to YORKSHIRE in about 1780 who are spread throughout England and Canada, New Zealand and Australia. A further small group has now been identified with an ancestor from Sussex who changed the spelling of his surname from WITHALL to WITHELL in the 1851 census and moved from SUSSEX to DURHAM in 1857. More recently the development of WITHALL/WITHELL in Devon is an area of study.

It seems unlikely that the current surname has a single origin but this conclusion would be confirmed by a project of DNA testing. This has not yet been undertaken. However such a project would also be useful to determine if WITHELL and WITHILL in Yorkshire had a common origin.

Variants

Medieval spellings:- Wethell, Wethiell, Wethyell, Withell, Withiell, Withyell, Wothell, Wothiell, Wothyell, Wythell, Wythiell, Wythyell. Also found were Withull, Withhille, Withele.

Post 1600:- Withell, Withel, Withiel, Withiell, Withill, Withall

Origin of the surname

The surname WITHELL had a plural evolution but probably derived from a name describing a locality or geographical feature. Evidence of bynames has been found in a surprising number of early documents emanating from different parts of Britain- London, Wales, Oxfordshire, Devonshire, Dorset, Yorkshire and the Midlands. Not all of these occurrences were to be stabilized as hereditary surnames with the spelling WITHELL.

However by the early 19th century, distribution of the modern surname was mainly confined to Cornwall, Devon and Yorkshire. Research currently undertaken, indicates separate origins for these counties.

In CORNWALL the name evolved from the area centered by the village of Withiel which was part of the manor of Widie as noted in the Domesday Book. One authority suggests a derivation from gwydhel, a 'wooded district or forest' while another proposes a compound of the Old English - gwith (trees) and ial (fertile upland). The second part of the name of the town of Lostwithiel seems to contain the same element, suggesting that Withiel may have originally been the name of a large district, reaching in one direction as far as the Fowey. From the evidence found in medieval documents, Ecclesiastical records, Court Rolls, Taxation records, Family estate papers and Parish Registers, it has been possible to research the evolution of these early bynames to the present day surname of Withell.

The Devon origin is also currently being researched. Although there were some early instances of Withell, the spelling was more usually Withall.

George Redmond has suggested that the surname Withell in YORKSHIRE may have evolved from Whit(e)hill or Whit(e)well. The most common spelling found in Yorkshire had an initial “wh” as in Whitell rather than “w” as in Withell. Medieval documents and the parish records so far searched seem to support this theory. Consistent spelling as Withell appears to have begun in Goodmanham at the beginning of the 19th century.

Further research is needed into the occurrence of variations of Whitell in Yorkshire in medieval documents, wills and family estate papers.

Historical occurrences

Hugo de Withiel and others were suspected of associating with Robert the Outlaw by the jurors at Launceston on the 3rd of March 1201 and required to purge by water.

Jordan de Withill was paid 40d in Yorkshire in 1222, by the Bishop of Durham on account rendered by the sheriff

J. son of Geoffrey, justice of Ireland, was notified 24 July 1247, to provide Walericus de Wythil' with 25 pounds a year at the Exchequer of Dublin, as he has been accustomed to receive, so long as he may be in the king's service in the office of a justice.

Master John de Withiel was listed in the records of Bishop Bronescombe as Rector of St. Merryn, Cornwall in 1259

Ralph Wythyall, commander of the Mary of Fowey was granted a license to carry pilgrims to St. James of Galicia in 1380.

Thomas Wythiale, goldsmith, obtained a life grant of the office of graver of coins for the money of gold and silver within the Tower of London and the town of Calais at Westminster on 26 November 1445.

George Withiel Philomath was active in Cornwall and Devon in the late 17th century. He was commissioned to produce a number of Estate Maps.

Distribution of the name

The census returns for UK between 1841 and 1901 reflect a major shift in the distribution of the surname, particularly with regard to Cornwall. During these years the Cornish migration was much more complex, with families moving to Wales, Devon, London, Ireland and Scotland, as well as Canada, US, Australia and New Zealand. Although during this time one Yorkshire family had moved to Canada and several families had settled in New Zealand, the Yorkshire numbers appear to have been reasonably stable.

Allowing for some misspelling of entries for known family members, in the 1881 census there were 141 occurrences with the variants WITHELL. WITHEL, WITHILL and WITHIEL. Cornwall had 16, Devon 14, Durham 8, Essex 5, Hampshire 1, Middlesex 7. Norfolk 2, Surrey 4, Yorkshire 54, Glamorgan 27 and Scotland 2, with 1 in the Navy. We have also positively identified family members who had been listed as Withall and Withett.

Current research indicates that some present day WITHILL families may in fact be descendants of William WITHELL and Rhoda Stokes.

There have been later waves of migration particularly after WW II when several families of Withells with Cornish descent moved to Australia.

The 2002 Electoral Roll for UK lists 97 persons with the surname Withell. There were 53 Withells of voting age in Australia in 2000.

The availability of US Census returns online in digital form has revealed that there were a few Withells born in America in the early 19th century. One family originally came from GERMANY but it has not been possible to research these names further.

I continue to find records of later immigration from England to US for both WITHELL and WITHIEL but so far have been unable to find descendants.

Data

We have a large collection of references to the surname WITHELL and variants which have been drawn from a wide variety of both published and unpublished sources in UK, United States, South Africa, Canada, Australia and New Zealand.

Numerous family groupings and “trees” have been constructed for all groups and we have enabled researchers to contact others persons involved in the same family lines.

The following databases are currently available for searching:-

GRO indexes to civil registration of BMD’s:- 1837-1970 (over 1000 entries) 1970 -2003 are currently being added.

UK Birth, death and marriage certificates

British Census listings for Withell and variants: - Some for 1841. Full details for 1851, 1861, 1871, 1881, 1891, and 1901.

A number of parish registers have been searched

Extracts from IGI (1994 &1997)

Wills and Probate listings with many copies for UK, Australia.

Cemetery records

Military and Naval records. WW 1 and WW 2 to be completed

Merchant seamen’s records

UK Electoral roll 2002/3

References in UK newspapers

Some Canadian material

Australian BMD’s

Australian Electoral Rolls

Links

Check out my new Withell One Name Study web page at http://withell.org/

Contact details

For further information, contact:

Mrs Margaret D Whitaker
P. O. Box 209,
Rosanna 3084,
Victoria
Australia
E-mail:

This page last updated 8 March 2008.