Spurrell
Encyclopedia
Spurrell is a surname
found in a number of parts of England
and Wales
, as well as other parts of the world.
, in Norfolk
. In 1349 a William de Sporle was admitted freeman of the city of Norwich
and was later one of the men responsible for electing the first Mayor of Norwich. Spurrells were resident in Norwich in later years too, one of them, John Spurrell, being elected Mayor of Norwich in 1737.
A William Sporrell who lived at Thurgarton
, near Cromer
in Norfolk, in the early 16th century could well be a descendant of William de Sporle and possibly originally belonged to a Norwich Spurrell family. He is recorded on the Subsidy Roll in 1522, and Thurgarton parish records show several generations of the family from 1539 onwards. The Spurrell family (the change in spelling from Sporrell to Spurrell seems to have occurred in the mid-16th century) has had close links with the Norfolk villages of Thurgarton
, Bessingham
and Erpingham
for 500 years, and also with other Norfolk families, especially the Flaxmans of Sidestrand
and Roughton
.
A dress probably worn by Mary Flaxman, whose daughter, Elizabeth (1749-1826), married John Spurrell (1732-1803) of Bessingham, now belongs to the dress collection at Kensington Palace
. Auctioned at Christie's
in 1994, it is a Court mantua dating from 1750-1760, comprising two parts - an open robe with attached train and a petticoat. The silk was made at Spitalfields
and has a flush pattern to the ground, brocaded with sprigs of coloured flowers.
The Spurrells of Thurgarton were also related by marriage in the early 19th century to various brewing families - the Watney family, the Gray family (of the Gray and Dacre Brewery
, West Ham
, Essex
), and also via both of these to the family of James Shears and Sons
, coppersmiths of Southwark
- and two brothers, James Spurrell (1776-1840) and Charles Spurrell (1783-1866), were senior employees at the Anchor Brewery, Southwark
as well, the latter residing for some time at Anchor Terrace
. In addition to being brewers and, more importantly, Norfolk farmers, the Spurrells embraced several other professions during and after the Victorian period: Flaxman Charles John Spurrell
(1842-1915), archaeologist and photographer; Herbert George Flaxman Spurrell
(1877-1918), biologist
, author
and physician
; Rev. Frederick Spurrell
(1824-1902), the first Chaplain to the British Residents at Stockholm
(1849) and Rector of Faulkbourne
, Essex
(1853-1898); Lt.-Col. Robert John Spurrell (1855-1929), army officer who rowed for Cambridge
in the 1878 Boat Race; Rev. James Spurrell (1815-1896), clergyman who published a pamphlet criticising Miss Priscilla Lydia Sellon's "Sisters of Mercy" and the mid-19th century Catholic Revival, and not forgetting his wife, Helen Spurrell (1819-1891), who translated the Old Testament
from Hebrew
into English
in 1885.
Several memorials and gravestones dedicated to the Spurrells can be seen at Thurgarton and Bessingham churches, and papers, wills and letters relating to the family are held by the Norfolk Records Office, Norwich.
wing, built in the 1820s. An earlier house probably stood on the site from the 16th century. The line of succession to Thurgarton House is as follows:
In the late 18th century, John (1732-1803), son of William Spurrell (1700-1761) of Thurgarton House, purchased land at Bessingham previously belonging to the Anson family. Several of his descendants lived at Bessingham Manor:
Bessingham Manor was sold on the death of Ronald Hitchcock.
and the West Country
. There have been Spurrells in Devon
for as long as there have been Spurrells in Norfolk, so any migration from the Sporle area to Devon would happened over 500 years ago, which, although not impossible, is difficult to prove.
Spurrell's Cross on Dartmoor
marks the spot where the path used by monks to travel from Buckfast Abbey
to Plympton Priory met the path from Wrangaton to Erme Pound.
In the 1790s, at the latest, a member of a Spurrell family then resident in Bath moved to Wales and settled in Carmarthen
(St. Peter's). He was an auctioneer called John Spurrell, and was the grandson of Robert Spurrell, a Bath schoolmaster, who printed the first book, The Elements of Chronology, in the city in 1730. On 11 April 1840, the first printing press was set up in Carmarthen by William Spurrell (1813-1889), who wrote a history of Carmarthen called Carmarthen and its Neighbourhood and pioneered the first English-Welsh dictionary with his son, Walter Spurrell (1858-1934). Today's Collins Welsh
dictionary
is known as the "Collins Spurrell".
There is a local authority housing in Carmarthen called Heol Spurrell in honour of the family.
, Kent
, is named after Flaxman C. J. Spurrell.
The Spurrell Charitable Trust makes donations each year to a number of good causes.
Surname
A surname is a name added to a given name and is part of a personal name. In many cases, a surname is a family name. Many dictionaries define "surname" as a synonym of "family name"...
found in a number of parts of England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
and Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
, as well as other parts of the world.
The Spurrells of Norfolk, England
It has been suggested that the Norfolk family name is derived from the village of Sporle, near SwaffhamSwaffham
Swaffham is a market town and civil parish in the English county of Norfolk. The town is situated east of King's Lynn and west of Norwich.The civil parish has an area of and in the 2001 census had a population of 6,935 in 3,130 households...
, in Norfolk
Norfolk
Norfolk is a low-lying county in the East of England. It has borders with Lincolnshire to the west, Cambridgeshire to the west and southwest and Suffolk to the south. Its northern and eastern boundaries are the North Sea coast and to the north-west the county is bordered by The Wash. The county...
. In 1349 a William de Sporle was admitted freeman of the city of Norwich
Norwich
Norwich is a city in England. It is the regional administrative centre and county town of Norfolk. During the 11th century, Norwich was the largest city in England after London, and one of the most important places in the kingdom...
and was later one of the men responsible for electing the first Mayor of Norwich. Spurrells were resident in Norwich in later years too, one of them, John Spurrell, being elected Mayor of Norwich in 1737.
A William Sporrell who lived at Thurgarton
Thurgarton (Norfolk)
Thurgarton is a village in the North Norfolk district of the English county of Norfolk. It lies north of Aylsham and south-west of Cromer, and was in the Erpingham Hundred. It forms part of the civil parish of Aldborough....
, near Cromer
Cromer
Cromer is a coastal town and civil parish in north Norfolk, England. The local government authority is North Norfolk District Council, whose headquarters is in Holt Road in the town. The town is situated 23 miles north of the county town, Norwich, and is 4 miles east of Sheringham...
in Norfolk, in the early 16th century could well be a descendant of William de Sporle and possibly originally belonged to a Norwich Spurrell family. He is recorded on the Subsidy Roll in 1522, and Thurgarton parish records show several generations of the family from 1539 onwards. The Spurrell family (the change in spelling from Sporrell to Spurrell seems to have occurred in the mid-16th century) has had close links with the Norfolk villages of Thurgarton
Thurgarton (Norfolk)
Thurgarton is a village in the North Norfolk district of the English county of Norfolk. It lies north of Aylsham and south-west of Cromer, and was in the Erpingham Hundred. It forms part of the civil parish of Aldborough....
, Bessingham
Bessingham
Bessingham is a village in the North Norfolk district of the English county of Norfolk. It lies 8 miles north-north-west of Aylsham and 5 miles south-south-west of Cromer. It forms part of the civil parish of Sustead....
and Erpingham
Erpingham
Erpingham is a village and civil parish in the English county of Norfolk.It covers an area of and had a population of 541 in 210 households as of the 2001 census.For the purposes of local government, it falls within the district of North Norfolk....
for 500 years, and also with other Norfolk families, especially the Flaxmans of Sidestrand
Sidestrand
Sidestrand is a village and a civil parish in the English county of Norfolk. The village is North of Norwich, South East of Cromer and north-east of London.The nearest railway station is at North Walsham for the Bittern Line which runs between Cromer and Norwich...
and Roughton
Roughton, Norfolk
Roughton is a village and a civil parish in the English county of Norfolk. The village is south of Cromer, north of Norwich and north-west of North Walsham. The village straddles the A140 between Cromer and Norwich and the B1463. The nearest railway station is at Roughton Road for the Bittern...
.
A dress probably worn by Mary Flaxman, whose daughter, Elizabeth (1749-1826), married John Spurrell (1732-1803) of Bessingham, now belongs to the dress collection at Kensington Palace
Kensington Palace
Kensington Palace is a royal residence set in Kensington Gardens in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea in London, England. It has been a residence of the British Royal Family since the 17th century and is the official London residence of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, the Duke and...
. Auctioned at Christie's
Christie's
Christie's is an art business and a fine arts auction house.- History :The official company literature states that founder James Christie conducted the first sale in London, England, on 5 December 1766, and the earliest auction catalogue the company retains is from December 1766...
in 1994, it is a Court mantua dating from 1750-1760, comprising two parts - an open robe with attached train and a petticoat. The silk was made at Spitalfields
Spitalfields
Spitalfields is a former parish in the borough of Tower Hamlets, in the East End of London, near to Liverpool Street station and Brick Lane. The area straddles Commercial Street and is home to many markets, including the historic Old Spitalfields Market, founded in the 17th century, Sunday...
and has a flush pattern to the ground, brocaded with sprigs of coloured flowers.
The Spurrells of Thurgarton were also related by marriage in the early 19th century to various brewing families - the Watney family, the Gray family (of the Gray and Dacre Brewery
Gray and Dacre Brewery
The Gray and Dacre Brewery operated in West Ham, Essex, in the first half of the 19th century.It was set up by John Gray and a member of the Dacre family, which was resident in West Ham for several generations until the 1860s...
, West Ham
West Ham
West Ham is in the London Borough of Newham in London, England. In the west it is a post-industrial neighbourhood abutting the site of the London Olympic Park and in the east it is mostly residential, consisting of Victorian terraced housing interspersed with higher density post-War social housing...
, Essex
Essex
Essex is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England, and one of the home counties. It is located to the northeast of Greater London. It borders with Cambridgeshire and Suffolk to the north, Hertfordshire to the west, Kent to the South and London to the south west...
), and also via both of these to the family of James Shears and Sons
James Shears and Sons
James Shears and Sons was a firm of London coppersmiths and braziers who were active from c1785 to 1891. The firm was founded by James Shears and continued by his two sons Daniel Towers Shears and James Henry Shears and subsequently by William Shears.-The origins of the company:James Shears was...
, coppersmiths of Southwark
Southwark
Southwark is a district of south London, England, and the administrative headquarters of the London Borough of Southwark. Situated east of Charing Cross, it forms one of the oldest parts of London and fronts the River Thames to the north...
- and two brothers, James Spurrell (1776-1840) and Charles Spurrell (1783-1866), were senior employees at the Anchor Brewery, Southwark
Anchor Brewery, Southwark
The Anchor Brewery, Southwark, was situated off Southwark Bridge Road and had its main entrance on Park Street, Southwark.- History :The brewery was established in 1616 by James Monger and for many years was a relatively small concern. In the 18th century it was owned by the Thrale family, who were...
as well, the latter residing for some time at Anchor Terrace
Anchor Terrace
Anchor Terrace is a large symmetrical building on the east side of Southwark Bridge Road in London, situated very close to the River Thames. It was built in 1834, and its original inhabitants were senior employees of the nearby Anchor Brewery, Southwark, which was then owned by Barclay Perkins &...
. In addition to being brewers and, more importantly, Norfolk farmers, the Spurrells embraced several other professions during and after the Victorian period: Flaxman Charles John Spurrell
Flaxman Charles John Spurrell
Flaxman Charles John Spurrell , the archaeologist, geologist and photographer, was born in Mile End, Stepney, London, the eldest son of Dr. Flaxman Spurrell, M.D., F.R.C.S., and Ann Spurrell...
(1842-1915), archaeologist and photographer; Herbert George Flaxman Spurrell
Herbert George Flaxman Spurrell
Herbert George Flaxman Spurrell , the biologist, physician and author, was the only son of the architect Herbert Spurrell and Harriet Rebecca Blaxland...
(1877-1918), biologist
Biologist
A biologist is a scientist devoted to and producing results in biology through the study of life. Typically biologists study organisms and their relationship to their environment. Biologists involved in basic research attempt to discover underlying mechanisms that govern how organisms work...
, author
Author
An author is broadly defined as "the person who originates or gives existence to anything" and that authorship determines responsibility for what is created. Narrowly defined, an author is the originator of any written work.-Legal significance:...
and physician
Physician
A physician is a health care provider who practices the profession of medicine, which is concerned with promoting, maintaining or restoring human health through the study, diagnosis, and treatment of disease, injury and other physical and mental impairments...
; Rev. Frederick Spurrell
Frederick Spurrell
The Reverend Frederick Spurrell was the second son, and seventh of eight children, of Charles Spurrell and Hannah Shears . He was descended from the Spurrell family of Thurgarton, Norfolk....
(1824-1902), the first Chaplain to the British Residents at Stockholm
Stockholm
Stockholm is the capital and the largest city of Sweden and constitutes the most populated urban area in Scandinavia. Stockholm is the most populous city in Sweden, with a population of 851,155 in the municipality , 1.37 million in the urban area , and around 2.1 million in the metropolitan area...
(1849) and Rector of Faulkbourne
Faulkbourne
Faulkbourne is a civil parish in the Braintree district of Essex, about 2 miles north-west of Witham.According to Faulkbourne's Victorian era rector, the Rev...
, Essex
Essex
Essex is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England, and one of the home counties. It is located to the northeast of Greater London. It borders with Cambridgeshire and Suffolk to the north, Hertfordshire to the west, Kent to the South and London to the south west...
(1853-1898); Lt.-Col. Robert John Spurrell (1855-1929), army officer who rowed for Cambridge
University of Cambridge
The University of Cambridge is a public research university located in Cambridge, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest university in both the United Kingdom and the English-speaking world , and the seventh-oldest globally...
in the 1878 Boat Race; Rev. James Spurrell (1815-1896), clergyman who published a pamphlet criticising Miss Priscilla Lydia Sellon's "Sisters of Mercy" and the mid-19th century Catholic Revival, and not forgetting his wife, Helen Spurrell (1819-1891), who translated the Old Testament
Old Testament
The Old Testament, of which Christians hold different views, is a Christian term for the religious writings of ancient Israel held sacred and inspired by Christians which overlaps with the 24-book canon of the Masoretic Text of Judaism...
from Hebrew
Biblical Hebrew language
Biblical Hebrew , also called Classical Hebrew , is the archaic form of the Hebrew language, a Canaanite Semitic language spoken in the area known as Canaan between the Jordan River and the Mediterranean Sea. Biblical Hebrew is attested from about the 10th century BCE, and persisted through...
into English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
in 1885.
Several memorials and gravestones dedicated to the Spurrells can be seen at Thurgarton and Bessingham churches, and papers, wills and letters relating to the family are held by the Norfolk Records Office, Norwich.
Owners of Thurgarton House and Bessingham Manor House
Thurgarton House (formerly Thurgarton Old Hall) dates from the 1730s and has a GeorgianGeorgian architecture
Georgian architecture is the name given in most English-speaking countries to the set of architectural styles current between 1720 and 1840. It is eponymous for the first four British monarchs of the House of Hanover—George I of Great Britain, George II of Great Britain, George III of the United...
wing, built in the 1820s. An earlier house probably stood on the site from the 16th century. The line of succession to Thurgarton House is as follows:
- William Sporrell (d 1558)
- William Sporrell (1539-1618) - son
- Thomas Sporrell (1563-1631) - son
- William Spurrell (1587-1664) - son
- William Spurrell (d 1707) - cousin (the previous owner's brother, Thomas, having disclaimed his inheritance at the Visitation of 1664)
- Joseph Spurrell (1660-1710) - son
- William Spurrell (1700-1761), Chief Constable, North Erpingham Hundred - son
- William Spurrell (1728-1807) - son
- William Spurrell (1774-1827), Chief Constable, North Erpingham Hundred - nephew
- William Dewing Spurrell (1803-1880), Chief Constable, North Erpingham Hundred - son
- Richard James Spurrell (1819-1896) - brother
- Richard James Spurrell (1862-1933) - son
- George Richard Spurrell B.A. (1906-1986) - son
- Richard James Kingsmill Spurrell (1934-2009) - son
In the late 18th century, John (1732-1803), son of William Spurrell (1700-1761) of Thurgarton House, purchased land at Bessingham previously belonging to the Anson family. Several of his descendants lived at Bessingham Manor:
- John Spurrell (1732-1803)
- John Spurrell (1779-1837) - son
- Daniel Spurrell (1817-1906) - son
- Edmund Denham Spurrell J.P. (1858-1952) - son
- Ronald Victor Hitchcock (1884-1970) - nephew
Bessingham Manor was sold on the death of Ronald Hitchcock.
Other Spurrell families in England and Wales
It is not clear whether there is any relation between the Spurrells of Norfolk and those who originate from WalesWales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
and the West Country
West Country
The West Country is an informal term for the area of south western England roughly corresponding to the modern South West England government region. It is often defined to encompass the historic counties of Cornwall, Devon, Dorset and Somerset and the City of Bristol, while the counties of...
. There have been Spurrells in Devon
Devon
Devon is a large county in southwestern England. The county is sometimes referred to as Devonshire, although the term is rarely used inside the county itself as the county has never been officially "shired", it often indicates a traditional or historical context.The county shares borders with...
for as long as there have been Spurrells in Norfolk, so any migration from the Sporle area to Devon would happened over 500 years ago, which, although not impossible, is difficult to prove.
Spurrell's Cross on Dartmoor
Dartmoor
Dartmoor is an area of moorland in south Devon, England. Protected by National Park status, it covers .The granite upland dates from the Carboniferous period of geological history. The moorland is capped with many exposed granite hilltops known as tors, providing habitats for Dartmoor wildlife. The...
marks the spot where the path used by monks to travel from Buckfast Abbey
Buckfast Abbey
Buckfast Abbey forms part of an active Benedictine monastery at Buckfast, near Buckfastleigh, Devon, England. Dedicated to Saint Mary, it was founded in 1018 and run by the Cistercian order from 1147 until it was destroyed under the Dissolution of the Monasteries...
to Plympton Priory met the path from Wrangaton to Erme Pound.
In the 1790s, at the latest, a member of a Spurrell family then resident in Bath moved to Wales and settled in Carmarthen
Carmarthen
Carmarthen is a community in, and the county town of, Carmarthenshire, Wales. It is sited on the River Towy north of its mouth at Carmarthen Bay. In 2001, the population was 14,648....
(St. Peter's). He was an auctioneer called John Spurrell, and was the grandson of Robert Spurrell, a Bath schoolmaster, who printed the first book, The Elements of Chronology, in the city in 1730. On 11 April 1840, the first printing press was set up in Carmarthen by William Spurrell (1813-1889), who wrote a history of Carmarthen called Carmarthen and its Neighbourhood and pioneered the first English-Welsh dictionary with his son, Walter Spurrell (1858-1934). Today's Collins Welsh
Welsh language
Welsh is a member of the Brythonic branch of the Celtic languages spoken natively in Wales, by some along the Welsh border in England, and in Y Wladfa...
dictionary
Dictionary
A dictionary is a collection of words in one or more specific languages, often listed alphabetically, with usage information, definitions, etymologies, phonetics, pronunciations, and other information; or a book of words in one language with their equivalents in another, also known as a lexicon...
is known as the "Collins Spurrell".
There is a local authority housing in Carmarthen called Heol Spurrell in honour of the family.
Miscellaneous
Spurrell Avenue in BexleyBexley
Bexley is an South East London]] in the London Borough of Bexley, London, England. It is located on the banks of the River Cray south of the Roman Road, Watling Street...
, Kent
Kent
Kent is a county in southeast England, and is one of the home counties. It borders East Sussex, Surrey and Greater London and has a defined boundary with Essex in the middle of the Thames Estuary. The ceremonial county boundaries of Kent include the shire county of Kent and the unitary borough of...
, is named after Flaxman C. J. Spurrell.
The Spurrell Charitable Trust makes donations each year to a number of good causes.