Dumel History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

Etymology of Dumel

What does the name Dumel mean?

Dumel is a name of ancient Norman origin. It arrived in England with the Norman Conquest of 1066. The Dumel family lived in Essex, at Great Dunmow or Little Dunmow.

Great Dunmow "is supposed by Bishop Gibson to be the site of the Roman station Cæsaromagus, and this conjecture has been adopted by other antiquaries; coins have been discovered at several places near the town, and the road leading from it to Colchester, which was probably Camalodunum, displays some indications of Roman construction. At the time of the Norman survey it was the chief place in the hundred to which it gives name, and in 1250 it was made a market-town." 1

Little Dunmow "is celebrated for an ancient custom connected with the manor of Little Dunmow, of delivering a gammon, or flitch of bacon, on demand to any couple who, after having been married a year and a day, will swear that neither party has repented, and that no cause of quarrel or complaint has arisen between them. Before the Reformation the oath used to be administered, and the bacon given, by the prior of the convent; and since, the ceremony has been occasionally performed at a court Baron before the steward of the manor. The institution of the custom is supposed to have taken place soon after the Norman Conquest." 1

In the church of Little Dunmow, "is a monument with a female figure in alabaster, said to represent Matilda Fitz-Walter, famous in legendary story as the wife or mistress of Robin Hood, and the object of the illicit passion of King John, who is stated to have caused her to be poisoned, in revenge for having rejected his addresses." 1

Early Origins of the Dumel family

The surname Dumel was first found in Essex where they held a family seat as Lords of the Manor of Dunmow. Originally, the Saxon spelling was Dommauua. 2

Conjecturally, the family name is descended from one of the holders of land identified by the Domesday Book Survey taken in 1086, as sharing estates at Dunmow. These were Adeluf de Marck from Count Eutace, the tenant in Chief, Wulfbert from Earl William Warren, Edmer from the Swain of Essex, Ralph from Eudo the Steward, Serlo from Hamo the Steward, Martel and William from Geoffrey de Mandeville.

All these shared the estates of the villages Great Dunmow and Little Dunmow, and, genealogically speaking, it is difficult to identify which of these land holders at the taking of the Domesday Book 3 was the scion of the Dunmow family name. The villages, Little and Greater Dunmow, contained 3 Mills, 20 Beehives, 65 goats, 11 Cobs(work horses,) and 21 cattle, holdings which gave it a rating of being a fairly large and influential town by Domesday standards.

Early rolls give a glimpse of the many spellings in use over the years: Ralph de Dunmauue was registered at Colchester, Essex in 1198; Richard de Dunmawe was registered in 1270; Roger de Dunmowe was registered in London in 1339; and John Dunmowe was listed in the Feet of Fines for Essex in 1374. 4

Early History of the Dumel family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Dumel research. Another 80 words (6 lines of text) covering the year 1104 is included under the topic Early Dumel History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Dumel Spelling Variations

Endless spelling variations are a prevailing characteristic of Norman surnames. Old and Middle English lacked any definite spelling rules, and the introduction of Norman French added an unfamiliar ingredient to the English linguistic stew. French and Latin, the languages of the court, also influenced spellings. Finally, Medieval scribes generally spelled words according to how they sounded, so one person was often referred to by different spellings in different documents. The name has been spelled Dunmow, Dunmowe, Dunmough, Dunmo, Dunmole and many more.

Early Notables of the Dumel family

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

Dumel migration to the United States +

To escape the political and religious persecution within England at the time, many English families left for the various British colonies abroad. The voyage was extremely difficult, though, and the cramped, dank ships caused many to arrive in the New World diseased and starving. But for those who made it, the trip was most often worth it. Many of the families who arrived went on to make valuable contributions to the emerging nations of Canada and the United States. An inquiry into the early roots of North American families reveals a number of immigrants bearing the name Dumel or a variant listed above:

Dumel Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Miss Mary Dumel, aged 17, who arrived in New York aboard the ship "Harebell" in 1847 5
Mr. Joseph Dumel, aged 28, who arrived in New York aboard the ship "William Tell" in 1853 5
Mrs. Maria Dumel, aged 27, who arrived in New York aboard the ship "William Tell" in 1853 5
Miss Eliza Dumel, aged 20, who arrived in New York aboard the ship "Mary Brack" in 1853 5
Miss Mary Dumel, aged 24, who arrived in New York aboard the ship "Mary Brack" in 1853 5
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Dumel Settlers in United States in the 20th Century

Miss Anna Dumel, aged 45, from Germany who arrived in New York aboard the ship "Amerika" in 1911 5
Mr. Thomas Dumel, aged 28, from Austria who arrived in New York aboard the ship "France" in 1913 5

Sources +

Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
Harrison, Henry, Surnames of the United Kingdom: A Concise Etymological Dictionary Baltimore: Geneological Publishing Company, 2013. Print
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)
Ellis Island Search retrieved 21st October 2021. Retrieved from https://heritage.statueofliberty.org/passenger-result