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![Show Contents]() Oswell History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
Etymology of OswellWhat does the name Oswell mean? The forefathers of the Oswell family were Viking settlers who came to Scotland in the Middle Ages. Many places were named by these Norsemen, and the Oswell surname was taken on from one of these place names, when someone lived in Caithness. This ancient family claim descent from the Norse Asbaldr, but sometimes records show that the name may have been derived from the personal name Oswald which is made up of the Old English elements os meaning "god," and weald or "rule." 1 "The most famous historical bearer of this name was the Northumbrian Christian King Oswald who fell A.D. 642 in a battle with Penda, king of the Mercians. This battle is traditionally reputed to have taken place at or near Oswestry, formerly Oswaldestre, i.e. Oswald's Cross, which the Welsh called by their equivalent Croes Oswallt. The locality does not, however, seem to be a likely one for a conflict between Northumbrian and Mercian troops. " 2 "When his father was defeated and slain by Rædwald in 617, he and his brothers were driven out of Northumbria, and Oswald, accompanied by a band of young nobles, took shelter with the Scots in Iona, where he was converted to Christianity and baptised. " 3 Early Origins of the Oswell familyThe surname Oswell was first found in Caithness (Gaelic: Gallaibh), the northern tip of Scotland, a Norse/Viking controlled region from the 9th century, which became the Earldom of Caithness, where they held a family seat from early times and their first records appeared on the census rolls taken by the ancient Kings of Scotland to determine the rate of taxation of their subjects. "The Oswalds of Caithness are descended from James Oswald of Kirkwall, d.c. 1660, and a family of this name has been for more than two centuries resident in Fife." 4 To the south in England, it was "a very early personal name; compare Oswald Kirk, a parish in Yorkshire. 'Osewold the Reve': Chaucer, The Canterbury Tales." 5 Looking back further the Domesday Book of 1086 includes early Latin forms of the name Osuuald, Osuuoldus in Somerset and Surrey respectively. Robertus filius Oswaldi was found in Norfolk in 1240 and much later, John Oswald was listed in the Subsidy Rolls of Sussex in 1327. 6 The Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 listed Simon Aswald, Oxfordshire, 1273 and the Writs of Parliament of 1325 included John Oswald, Gloucestershire, 1325. 5 Early History of the Oswell familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Oswell research. Another 107 words (8 lines of text) covering the year 1890 is included under the topic Early Oswell History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Oswell Spelling VariationsSound and intuition were the main things that scribes in the Middle Ages relied on when spelling and translating names. Since those factors varied, so did the spelling of the names. Spelling variations of the name Oswell include Oswald, Oswalde, Oswold, Oswolde, Oswell and others. Early Notables of the Oswell familyNotable amongst the Clan from early times was Oswald of Worcester (d. 972), Archbishop of York from 972 to his death in 992. He was a nephew on his father's side of Archbishop Odo, and related to Oskytel, Archbishop of York, was brought up under the care of Odo, and was instructed by Frithefode. "Having taken orders, he was enabled by Odo's liberality to purchase the monastery of Winchester, then in the hands of secular clerks or canons, over whom he ruled. Being zealous in piety and persuaded of the excellence of monastic life, he was discontented with his life as...
Another 115 words (8 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Oswell Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Migration of the Oswell family to IrelandSome of the Oswell family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 63 words (4 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
| Oswell migration to the United States | + |
In North America, the monarchy was thousands of miles away and Scots were free to settle on their own land and practice their own beliefs. The American War of Independence provided an opportunity for these settlers to pay back the English monarchy and forge a new nation. Recently, this heritage has survived through North American highland games and Clan societies. Early North American immigration and passenger lists have revealed a number of people bearing the name Oswell or a variant listed above:
Oswell Settlers in United States in the 18th Century- Joseph Oswell, who arrived in Virginia in 1716 7
Oswell Settlers in United States in the 19th Century- Nevelt Oswell, who landed in New York in 1822 7
- Alexander Oswell, who landed in Delaware in 1864 7
| Oswell migration to Australia | + |
Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include: Oswell Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century- Mr. John Oswell, English solider who was convicted in Chelsea, London, England for 7 years for desertion from the army, transported aboard the "Duke of Portland" in January 1807, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 8
| Contemporary Notables of the name Oswell (post 1700) | + |
- Oswell Borradaile (1859-1935), English cricketer
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: Forti favet coelum
Motto Translation: Heaven favours the brave
- Arthur, William , An Etymological Dictionary of Family and Christian Names. London: 1857. Print
- Harrison, Henry, Surnames of the United Kingdom: A Concise Etymological Dictionary Baltimore: Geneological Publishing Company, 2013. Print
- Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print
- Black, George F., The Surnames of Scotland Their Origin, Meaning and History. New York: New York Public Library, 1946. Print. (ISBN 0-87104-172-3)
- Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
- Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
- 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 July 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/duke-of-portland
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