Swindells

This interesting and most unusual name, found widespread in Lancashire is most probably an English locational name from "Swindale" in Skelton, North Yorkshire, so called from the Old English pre seventh Century words "swin", pig, wild boar, plus the second element "dael", a valley, hence, the valley where the wild boars roamed or the valley where pigs were reared. The following quote refers to another place of the name in the parish of Cheedle, in Cheshire, where the surname may also have sprung from: " A branch of the family of Howford held a small estate here "Bosden in the 14th Century, called "Swndelves". (Cheshire Wills Records). Henry Swyndell married Janet Winterbotham on November 13th 1575, at Rotherham in Yorkshire, while at Almondbury, Yorkshire Joannes son of Petri Swendell was christened on April 1st 1578. James Swindells married Faith Ormondroy d at Bradford in Yorkshire on January 3rd 1820. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of Roger Swyndels, of Marple, which was dated 1522, in the "Cheshire Wills Records", during the reign of King Henry V111, known as "Good King Hal", 1509 - 1547. Surnames became necessary when governments introduced personal taxation. In England this was known as Poll Tax. Throughout the centuries, surnames in every country have continued to "develop" often leading to astonishing variants of the original spelling.