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HUDGELL

Hudswell to Hudgell

O ur name is thought to have originated from the small North Yorkshire village of HUDSWELL

A Directory of English Surnames

by P H Reaney & R M Wilson

published by the Oxford University Press:

HUDSWELL - HUDGELL

Geoffrey de Huddeswell

1206 (NR Yorks)

Early records shown from parish registers indicated that a George HUDSWELL was born circa 1550 in Sawbridgeworth in Hertfordshire, and dying there in 1611.

George married twice. His first marriage to Joan, maiden name unknown at the moment around 1580 produced 5 children. This line of family lived in Sawbridgeworth but ventured out to surrounding areas of Birchanger, Stanford Rivers and more recently into Essex, many Hudgells still living there today.

In 1592 Joan died in childbirth with their last son Christopher and George married again to Alice Smyth on July 21st 1593 they had 2 children, Litie and George.

George jn. born circa 1600 lived and died in Ipswich and his descendents branch out towards Suffolk, Essex and London.

Georges son Jonathan appears to have been a wealthy man owning property in Rope Makers Walk Ipswich according to his will.

The name Jonathon runs in that family line quite a lot through the latter generations, Jonathan born 1791 in Gripping was the licence of The Greyhound Stowmarket, married his cousin Temperance Hudgell in 1818 at St Peters Ipswich and had 8 children some of that line taking the name into London and Essex.

The Hudswell name taking many forms until it eventually became Hudgell as we know it now.

1592 to 1650. Hudswell

Around 1650 the name changed from Hudswell to Hudgwell and then Hudgewell.

Then by 1700 to Hudgell, but old spellings persist in places in to mid 1700's the name changes occur at roughly the same time in the Suffolk line.

But this is roughly the time scale:

HUDSWELL 1550 -1652

HUDGEWELL/HUDGWELL 1700 - 1850

HUDGELL 1800 - 2004

HUDGILL 1850 2004

The other HUDSWELL (Sawbridgeworth - Birchanger - Stanford Rivers) line changed of name occurs roughly at the same times.

The name of Hudswell changed many times during the next few years and by the early 1600's the name had already changed in some instances on parish registers to Hudgell.

My branch of the family come from George's first wife of whom he had 6 children,

Robert b.1581

Richard b.1583

Mary b.1585

Jane b.1589

Christopher b. 1592

The family moved through the years but stopping in Sawbridgeworth where descendents still live now:

Sawbridgeworth Hertfordshire 1581 - 1750

Birchanger Hertfordshire 1750 - 1770

Stanford Rivers Essex 1770 - 1880

Epping Essex 1880 - 2000

Surname variations can sometimes occur when the names were just recorded as they sounded or were simply miss-spelt by the local registrar. At the same time the person giving the information might not have know the correct spelling of their surname. Or used just a X in many places

It should also be remembered that many people could not write so the census enumerator could only guess at the spelling of the surname. A census form was handed out by the enumerator who would call again to collect it a few days later, and quite often it being the elder child of the house who would fill it in, that being the only person in that family who could either read or write.

If the householder came from a different part of the country, and had a strong regional accent, the spelling might be very different to the way it would have been spelt in the area where he was born. The local dialect could have proven to have been a hindrance in the way names sounded or they could even have been a little deaf.

Typically a person would be born with one spelling, married with another, and buried with a headstone which showed another. I have always found that its most important to always use your imagination.

Don't ever give up on that elusive ancestor he is out there somewhere.

You name it and I think I have found it, here's just a few of the variations I have found to date:

Hudgel Hudgle Hudgeswell Huddel Hudge Udgell Engell Huggill Hudggell Hudgeill Hudjell Hudgile Hudswell Hudggell Hudgel Hudgle Hudgeswell Hudowell Huddel Hudgel Udgell Hugill Engell Hurdgell Hudgol Huggill Hudggel Houdgill Hudgeill Hudgile Hudgol Gudgell Hudyell Trudgell Hardgell

and more recently Udell and Udgle

If you have any Hudgell family photos, diaries, documents etc that you think would help build up the Hudgell database I would love to include them in this website please contact me

Newest update 16/01/2022 13:21