LINVILLE
Coat of Arms ~
Family Crests
~ Family
Surname Origin ~
Linville
The chronicles
of England
show the early records of the name Linville to be derived from the Norman
race. The name appears in England from
about 1066 A. D., and its history is interwoven within the majestic tapestry
which contains the history of Britain.
Professional
researchers used such ancient manuscripts as the Domesday Book (compiled in
1086 by William the Conquerer), the Ragman Rolls, the
Wace poem, the Honour Roll
of the Battel Abbey, the Curia Regis, Pipe Rolls, the
Falaise Roll, tax records, baptismals,
family genealogies, and local parish and church records to establish the first
record of the name Linville was found in Norfolk where they were anciently
seated as Lords of the Manor. After the
Battle of Hastings in 1066, William, Duke of Normandy, having prevailed over
King Harold, granted most of Britain
to his many victorious Barons. It was
not uncommon to find a Baron, or a Bishop, with 60 or more Lordships scattered
throughout the county. These he gave to
his sons, nephews and other junior lines of his family and they became known as
under-tenants. They adopted the Norman
system of surnames which identified the under-tenant with his holdings so as to
distinguish him from the senior stem of the family. After many rebellious wars
between his Barons, Duke William, commissioned a census of all England to
determine in 1086, settling once and for all, who held which land. He called the census the Domesday Book,
indicating that those holders registered would hold the land until the end of
time. Hence, conjecturally, the surname
is descended from the tenant of the lands of Lynford,
held by Stanard, a Norman noble, from Roger Bigot who was
recorded in the Domesday Book census of 1086.
Lynford Hall is notable.
Linville
occurred in many references, but from time to time, spellings included Lynford, Linford, Linforth, Lynforth, Linfoot, Lynfoot, Lindford, Lyndford, Lindforth, Lyndforth, Lineford, Lyneford, Lineforth, Linefoot, Lenforth, Lenford, and many
others. Scribes recorded and spelled the
name as if sounded. It wasn't unlikely
that a person would be born with one spelling, married with another, and buried
with a headstone which showed another spelling.
The
Normans were
commonly believed to be of French origin, but more accurately, they were of
Viking origin. The Vikings landed in the
Orkneys and Northern Scotland about the year
870 A. D., under their King, Stirgud the Stout. Later, under their Jarl, Thorfinn
Rollo, they invaded France about 911 A. D. The French
King, Charles the Simple, after Rollo laid siege to Paris, finally conceded
defeat and granted northern France
to Rollo. Duke
William who invaded and defeated England in 1066, was descended from the first
Duke Rollo of Normandy.
The
Surname Linville emerged as a notable family name in the county of Norfolk
where they were anciently seated.
Geoffrey of Lineford succeeded to the estates in
1202. They later branched to Buckingham
where they gave their name to two small villages Great and Little Linford. Roger Lynford was seated there in 1273. During the time of the
Norman Kings there were many feudal rebellions.
Many barons were attained, traded their land, and moved their families
out of the royal influence, even into Scotland. Outstanding amongst the family at this time
was the Lynford family of Norfolk.
The
surname Linville contributed much to local politics
and in the affairs of England
or Scotland. During the 12th century many of
these Norman families moved north to Scotland. Later, in the 16th, 17th
and 18th centuries England
was ravaged by religious and political conflict. The Monarchy, the Church and Parliament
fought for supremacy. The unrest caused
many to think of distant land.
In
Ireland,
settlers became known as the "Aventurers for
land in Ireland". They "undertook" to keep the
Protestant faith, occupying the lands of the Irish. The name Linville
may well have arrived in Ireland
with the "Cromwellian Aventurers
for Land," in the 17th century.
At this time, 1,000 acres of land was available to settlers in Ulster for
£200, in Connaught
for £300 and in Leinster
for £600.
The
democratic way of life of the New World beckoned
many. They sailed aboard the fleet of
sailing ships known as the "White Sails".
In
North America, migrants which could be
considered a kinsman of the family name Linville, or variable spellings of that
same family name included the name represented in many forms and recorded from
the mid 17th century in the great migration from Europe. Migrants settled in the eastern seaboard from
Newfoundland,
to Maine, to Virginia, the Carolinas, and to the islands. From the port of arrival settlers joined the
wagon trains westward. During the
American War of Independence some declared their loyalty to the Crown and moved
northward into Canada
and became known as the United Empire Loyalists.
* * * * * *
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Last Updated Saturday, June 17, 2006, 8:38:09 PM CST
