Turbill

This is an ancient and honourable surname, well recorded in England from the 12th century, but of earlier Norman origins. It derives from a now "lost" locality in Northern France believed to have been called "Turberville", and it was probably introduced into England at or just after the Conquest of 1066. By the middle of the 13th century the "De Turbervilles" seem to have held lands in the counties of Berkshire, Gloucester and Wiltshire and were prominent figures throughout the crusade period. Certainly one Robert de Turbeville took part in the last crusade of Circa 1275, and Sir Robert de Turbervile, (in what may be the first of the changing spellings) was with the English army at the 1345 siege of Calais. Over the next two centuries the surname was gradually anglicised so that by the mid 16th century the spelling forms had divided into several forms including Tuberville, Turberfield, Turbill and Turbell. The examples of the name development include William Turbyfilde of Kensington and Edward Turbyll of Westminster in 1541, and Henery Turbill, christened at St. Brides church, Fleet Street, on October 20th 1676. On October 18th 1730 Ann Turbyrfield was christened at St. Mary Zachary, providing yet another spelling form. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of John de Turberville, which was dated 1273, in the Hundred Rolls of Berkshire, during the reign of King Edward 1, known as "The Lion of the Scots, 1272 - 1307. 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.