Abell

"The earliest recorded appearance of the family name so far discovered is on the roll of knights and men-at-arms under William the Conquerer in 1066, preserved in Battle Abbey, England, where it is inscribed in the form of ABELL. King William, after he had gained posession of the lands in England by conquest, and in order better to protect his followers in their acquired rights to the soil, sent commissioners into each county for the purpose of accumulating exact statements of the property and revenue of the kingdom wherever rents and services were due to the crown. These inquisitions or surveys were completed in the year 1086, and afterwards arranged in proper order in a record called Domesday. Through the means of this record we learn that estates or manors were managed for the crown by stewards or lords as sub-tenants. Many Normans who had rendered assistance to the Conqueror were rewarded by being made tenants-in-chief to the king. Of these tenants-in-chief there were about fourteen hundred in number. They were considered the most distinguished men of that period, and stood ready at a moment's notice to render any service that the king might require of them, whether of a civil or military nature. We find the name of ABELL inscribed in this Domesday book as an under-tenant living in the county of Kent. This may have been the progenitor of the English families that flourished in various parts of England from the conquest to the Stuart period and to the present time."  Source:  "Abell Family In America"

My Abell ancestors

01. Robert Abell, the first Abell mentioned in the book "Abell Family in America" and "Burke's American Families" was born in 1500 in Stapenhill, Derby, England.  He was named c. 1533-8 as of Stapenhill, in a complaint of Walter Blount (Chancery Proc. Early 725/38, 738/10). He is mentioned in a deed 1547, and in the will of his son George 1596. A Robert Abell, gent., was a servant or tenant to Sir Wm. Gryseley and was at Bryslincote, county Derby, in 9 Henry VIII (1517-8) (Star Cham. Proc. 19/159).  He is shown to have married Helene in 1521 in Derby.

02. Robert Abell, son of Robert was born in 1531 in Derby.  His spouse was unknown.  Robert is Mentioned in the wills of Brother Anthony in 1559, and of his brother George 1596 as then deceased.  He died on May 17, 1588 in Derby.

03. George Abell, son of Robert was born in 1561 in Derby.  He was educated at Brasenose College, Oxford and admitted to the Inner Temple in 1581.  He was Executor to his father's Will in 1588.  He married Frances Cotton, daughter of Richard Cotton, of Combermere and Mary Mainwaring. It is through Frances that this family connects to royalty through the Mainwaring line.  Click here to see the will of George Abell.  The 4 children of Frances and George are:
 

04. Robert Abell, son of George was born in 1589 in Hemington, Leicestershire, England.   He was the immigrant who came to New England with John Winthrop on the Winthrop Fleet, in June 1630 and settled at Rehobeth, MA.   He took the Oath of Freeman May 18, 1631.  In 1638 he married Joanna whose last name is unknown.   Robert removed from Weymouth in 1643, probably following Rev. Samuel Newman, the real founder of Rehoboth. Rev. Newman was minister at Weymouth for four and a half or five years, then with a majority of his congregation, in 1642 removed to a place called by the Indians Seekonk, to which he gave the name of Rehoboth.  There are several records documenting his activity in Rehoboth where he lived until he died on June 20, 1663.  The Winthrop Society was created for ancestors who came over on the Winthrop Fleet.  The 8 children of Robert and Joanna are:
 

05. Caleb Abell, son of Robert was born in 1646 in Rehoboth, MA.  In 1668 he moved to Norwich, Conn where he married Margaret Post on July 1669.  In the original purchase of land when Norwich was settled, six acres having 16 rods front was assigned to Robert Wade, this he sold to Caleb Abell in 1677, and it was afterwards known as the Abell homestead. This property abutted on Town Street 16 rods, on the home lot of Morgan Bowers 72 rods, on the river 18 rods and on John Birchard land 74 rods. The location may be seen in a map on page 67 of "Caulkins' Norwich." On December 18, 1694 Caleb was appointed to keep his house as "an ordinari or of entertayment" for the year, or until another be chosen.

In 1697 Caleb and ten others were allowed to build a seat on the east side of the meeting house on the Leanto beams for their convenient sitting on the Lord's Days. Rev. Huntington's book of "Old Houses of the Ancient Town of Norwich" names 36 men whom he supposes to have been original proprietors; but one of these was Richard Wallis and another was Caleb Abell, who in 1660 was only 14 years of age. On May 2, 1728 Caleb deeded 12 1/4 acres of land to his daughter, Experience Hide. On January 12, 1727-8 Caleb deeded to his son Noah his home lot, dwelling house and barn, all lands adjoining his home lot and lands over the river (Yantic) his pasture land lying northerly and northeasterly of William Hide dwelling house (which house was on the other side of Town Street and a little to the east) lying in two parcels, together with land on both sides of Bradford brook on north side of road leading to Lebanon, except 1 1/2 acres on south east of brook and land near Benjamin Abell's dwelling house which he gave to his son Samuel, reserving to himself and his wife Marey the dwelling house during his life and for hers after his decease, also liberty to his daughter Hannah to dwell in said house so long as she remains unmarried and a passageway across home lot to his son Samuel to Samuel's own land.

Caleb joined the first church of Norwich before 1701. He was Sergeant of the Norwich Train Band in 1701 and Selectman in 1682, Constable in 1684 and 1706 and Townsman in 1689. In the books of Grants in Norwich, there are 38 or more items to Caleb Abell.  Caleb died on August 17, 1731 in Norwich. The 9 children of Caleb and Margaret are:
 

06. Joanna Abell, daughter of Caleb and Margaret was born in November, 1682 in Norwich, New London, CT.  In 1707 she married Zachariah Loomis, son of John Loomis.  They had 10 children.  Joanna died on November 25, 1759 of smallpox in Lebanon, Tolland, CT.  She is buried in the Loomis Cemetery there.  I descend from their daughter Zerviah Loomis who married Ebenezer Jones.

Surnames that married into my Abell family

COTTON

LOOMIS

POST

Abell Coat Of Arms

Coat of Arms #1

Coat of Arms #2

Robert Abell came to America on the Winthrop fleet in 1630.  Descendants of Robert are eligible to join the Winthrop Society which is open to all with proven descent of an ancestor from the Winthrop fleet.

Abell GENFORUM

1

"Abell Family in America" by Horace A. & Lewis P. Abell. (1940) 339p. - A great resource for the Abell surname.  Although dated, it provides a lot of important information on the Abell line and is a must for any Abell descendant.  Amazon provides a deal through Higgenson Books which will make you a copy of the book at a very reasonable price.

2

"Medieval English Ancestors of Robert Abell" by Carl Boyer, 3rd (2001) 344p - Fills in a lot of blanks about Robert's ancestors that extend into royalty.  Full of history and sources.  It is organized by surname for quick reference.  The author has done a lot of research on these lines, some of which there is very little documentation on elsewhere.  It is highly recommended for those interested in how these surnames originated and provides a lot of biographical information.

3

"Ancestors and Descendants of Robert Abell" by Horace A. Abell (1933) Covers a lot of Abell material, including some that is not mentioned in "Abell Family in America".

4

"One Branch of the Abell Family Showing The Allied Families" by Horace A. Abell (1934)