History of the Searle Family

The purpose of this document is to provide the descendants of Arthur Samuel Thomas Searle and Isabella McGinn a history of their ancestors on the Searle side of the family, going as far back in time as possible.

Part 1: Origins of the Searle Family Name

The surname Searle is believed to have originated as a male given name with Germanic and Norse origins. In Old German, the name was Sarilo or Serilo, a derivative of the word sarva, which means “armour”; the Norse equivalent was Sǫrli. In addition to “armour”, the original meaning of the name may have been “defender” or “protector”. The name was in use in Normandy, as Serlo, during the 10th to 11th centuries and was introduced in England by the Normans following their conquest in 1066 CE.

Map of the North of France, formerly Normandy, and the South of England. The mouth of the river Seine is highlighted.
The Duchy of Normandy, historically located in the northwest of France, came about from the Treaty of Saint-Clair-sur-Epte between King Charles III of West Francia and the Viking leader Rollo in 911 CE. Rollo was of Danish or Norwegian origin, and first appeared in written histories for his part in leading the Vikings in the siege of Paris in 885 - 886 CE. The Viking siege was thwarted by Odo of France, however, Rollo and the Vikings continued to assault the valley of the lower Seine for many years until they were granted permanent lands between the mouth of the Seine and the modern-day city of Rouen following the signing of the 911 Treaty of Saint-Clair-sur-Epte. As part of the treaty, Rollo and his army swore allegiance to King Charles III, converted to Christianity, and pledged to defend the Seine’s estuary from future Viking incursions. With the land officially theirs, the Scandinavian peoples mixed with the West Franks (French) and Gallo-Romans (descendants of Gaul and Rome), and the Duchy of Normandy flourished for centuries.

William the Conqueror, a great-great-great grandson of Rollo, invaded and captured England in 1066 CE, becoming the first Norman monarch of England. Accompanying William on his invasion of England was William de Perci, who had a brother named Serlo. In 1067 CE, Serlo de Perci was a monk at Mont Saint-Michel in Normandy. In 1072 CE, he was appointed the abbot of Gloucester Abbey, which was dedicated to Saint Peter, upon the recommendation of the Bishop of Salisbury, Osmund, the nephew of William the Conqueror. Serlo served as the abbot of Gloucester Abbey until his death in 1104 CE.

Snippet from the Domesday Book showing Serlo de Burci owning land in Somerset, Page 24.

In December 1085 CE, William the Conqueror commissioned a great land survey of England and parts of Wales that was completed in 1086 CE and is known as the Domesday Book. The purpose of the survey was to assess the land and resources being owned in England at the time, allowing William to determine the extent to which he could raise taxes.

The Domesday Book, written in heavily abbreviated Latin, contains some of the first written accounts of the name Serlo. Serlo de Perci appears as the Abbot of Gloucester, however, other Serlo’s, such as Serlo de Burci in Somerset and Serlo de Hamone in Essex, appear with their full names written.

Snippet from the Domesday Book showing Serlo de hamone owning land in Essex, Page 54.

As the population of England increased, it became more common for people to adopt surnames, although these names were not necessarily hereditary at first: they often indicated who the person was based on location (e.g., Serlo of Burcy), family lineage (e.g., John son of Thomas), or profession (e.g., Richard the Baker).

Map of England. Taken from Google Maps.

While it is likely the first people with the family name of Searle were descendants of the Normans that conquered England in 1066 CE, it is difficult to trace the surname from the use as a given name to the first families that used it as a surname. However, by the 14th century, the Searle family name had become established in both London, Devonport (now Plymouth), and Cornwall.

Many variations of the name have occurred throughout the years, often because most people could not read or write; people would say their name and whomever was writing it down would determine how they felt it should be written. Searle, Searl, Serle, Serl, Sarl, Sarle, Sarol, Syrell, and Sorrell are some of the most common variations.