Contents [hide]

Turberville History Etymology Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables Ranking

Contemporary Notables Related Stories Sources

Turberville History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

Etymology of Turberville

What does the name Turberville mean?

Turberville is a name that was brought to England by the ancestors of the Turberville family when they migrated to the region after the Norman Conquest in 1066. The Turberville family lived in Breconshire, Wales. Their name, however, is a reference to Turberville, Normandy, the family's place of residence prior to the Norman Conquest of England in 1066. 1

Coity Castle (Welsh: Castell Coety) in Glamorgan, Wales is a Norman castle built by Sir Payn "the Demon" de Turberville (fl. 1126), one of the legendary Twelve Knights of Glamorgan.

Crickhowell Castle in Crickhowell, Wales (now in ruins) was initially a motte and bailey castle built from around 1121, probably by Robert Turberville, a tenant of the Marcher lord Bernard de Neufmarché.

Early Origins of the Turberville family

The surname Turberville was first found in Breconshire where they were granted lands by William the Conqueror for their assistance at the Battle of Hastings in 1066 A.D. One of the first records of the surname was William de Turbeville (William Turbe), (c. 1095-1174), a medieval Bishop of Norwich.

"Within thirty years after the Conquest, Sir Payn de Turbervill accompanied Sir Robert Fitz-Hamon, to the aid of Jestin-ap-Gwrgant, King of Glamorgan, against Rhys, Prince of South Wales. Subsequently, on the death of Rhys, Fitz-Hamon, turning his forces against Jestin, and conquering his whole dominion, divided it amongst his followers. To the share of Sir Payn de Turberville were allotted the castle and lordship of Coyty, and then was established in Wales the great house of Turbevill, seated at Coyty, Tythegstone, Penbline, Lantwitt Major, and Ewenny Abbey. 2

"William de Troublevilla occurs in the Norman Exchequer Rolls of 1180-95. Payne de Turbeville witnessed the foundation charter of Neath Abbey, temp. Henry I. Hence the Turbevilles of Glamorgan and Brecon. William de Turbeville was of Dorset 1130; and in 1165 there were branches in York, Norfolk, Dorset, and Wilts." 1

An important branch of the family was found at Anstey in Wiltshire in early times. "Here was a commandery of the Knights Hospitallers, founded by Walter de Tuberville in the reign of John." 3

Later, Sir Henry de Turberville, Trubbeville, Trubleville (died 1239) was a noted English soldier and seneschal of Gascony from 1226 to 1231. A Devon man, he was reappointed seneschal of Gascony on 23 May 1234 and held the position until November 1238. He was known as strong fighter for the cause. 4

According to legend, a ghostly coach crosses the bridge by Woolbridge Manor near Wool, Dorset at night, but only those with Turberville blood can see it. One version claims the coach contains the ghosts of John Turberville of Woolbridge and Anne, the daughter of Thomas Howard, 1st Viscount Howard of Bindon on their elopement.

The d'Urberville family in Thomas Hardy's novel Tess of the d'Urbervilles, was based on the mediaeval Turberville family of Bere Regis, Dorset.

Early History of the Turberville family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Turberville research. Another 134 words (10 lines of text) covering the years 1540, 1549, 1555, 1559, 1568, 1570, 1597, 1612, 1648, 1678, 1681 and 1696 are included under the topic Early Turberville History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Turberville Spelling Variations

Spelling variations in names were a common occurrence in the eras before English spelling was standardized a few hundred years ago. In the Middle Ages, even the literate regularly changed the spellings of their names as the English language incorporated elements of French, Latin, and other European languages. Many variations of the name Turberville have been found, including Turbeyfield, Turberfield, Turbervile, Turbervill, Turberville and many more.

Early Notables of the Turberville family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was

George Turberville, or Turbervile (1540 -1597), an English poet, second son of Nicholas Turberville of Whitchurch, Dorset, the same Dorset family, the D'Urbervilles of Mr Thomas Hardy's novel, Tess of...
James Turberville or Turbervyle (d. 1570?), was an English divine, Bishop of Exeter, born at Bere in Dorset, the son of John Turbervyle
Edward Turberville or Turbervile (c. 1648-1681), was a Welsh informer, who perjured himself in support of the alleged Popish Plot. James Turberville (or Turbervyle) (died 1559) born at Bere Regis in D...
Daubeney Turberville (1612-1696), was an English physician, born at Wayford in Somerset in 1612, the son of George Turberville of that place. 4
Henry Turberville (d. 1678), was an English Roman Catholic controversialist who received his education in the English College at Douai, where he was ordained priest
Edward Turberville or Turbervile (c. 1648-1681) was a Welsh professional soldier, known to history as an informer who perjured himself in support of the allegations made during the fictitious Popish P...

Turberville Ranking

In the United States, the name Turberville is the 15,961^st most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 5

Turberville migration to the United States +

For many English families, the social climate in England was oppressive and lacked opportunity for change. For such families, the shores of Ireland, Australia, and the New World beckoned. They left their homeland at great expense in ships that were overcrowded and full of disease. Many arrived after the long voyage sick, starving, and without a penny. But even those were greeted with greater opportunity than they could have experienced back home. Numerous English settlers who arrived in the United States and Canada at this time went on to make important contributions to the developing cultures of those countries. Many of those families went on to make significant contributions to the rapidly developing colonies in which they settled. Early North American records indicate many people bearing the name Turberville were among those contributors:

Turberville Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

William Turberville, who landed in Maryland in 1659 6
Mr. Turberville who landed in America in 1670

Turberville 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:

Turberville Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Miss Kate Turberville, (b. 1849), aged 13, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Echunga" arriving in Lyttelton, Canterbury, New Zealand on 24th December 1862 7
Miss Kate Turberville, (b. 1858), aged 13, British settler travelling from Gravesend aboard the ship 'Merope' arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 25th August 1871 7

Contemporary Notables of the name Turberville (post 1700) +

Kim Turberville, American executive producer, known for National Television Awards (2012), National Movie Awards (2011) and Billy Connolly Live: The Greatest Hits (2003)
Dayton Turberville, American researcher, co-author of Eating Disorders in Men: Underdiagnosed, Undertreated, and Misunderstood (2012)
Richard Lee Turberville Beale (1819-1893), American lawyer and politician, Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Virginia (1879-1881), (1847-1849)
John Turberville Needham FRS (1713-1781), English biologist and Roman Catholic priest, Member of the Royal Society in 1747 and was the first Catholic priest to do so
George Turberville, Principal of a Samoan High School

Sources +

The Norman People and Their Existing Descendants in the British Dominions and the United States Of America. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing, 1975. Print. (ISBN 0-8063-0636-X)
Burke, John Bernard, The Roll of Battle Abbey. London: Edward Churton, 26, Holles Street, 1848, Print.
Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
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)
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 17th October 2018). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html