Twidell

This surname recorded in a wide range of spellings including Tweedell, Tweedle, Twidale, Twydale, Twydell, and many other forms, is of Northern English and Scottish origin. It is a both a "Border Reivers" surname for someone who lived in the valley of the Tweed river, in Northumberland, and also tribal in that nameholders owed allegiance both to the English and Scottish monarchs, or often - neither! In 1376 John de Tweddale was a tenant of the earl of Douglas, whilst in 1404 John Twedale and Andrew de Twedale were registered as being "archers of the East March of Scotland". The name derives from the Olde English and later Welsh "tywad" meaning "hemming in" with reference to the deep and narrow valley at points along the river course, plus "doel", later "dale", meaning " a deep valley". Later surname examples taken from church recordings include Roger Twyedell, a witness at St. Martins church, Ludgate, London, on March 11th 1581, Margaret Twiddell, christened at the church of St. Botolph, Bishopsgate, London, on June 13th 1641, and Mary Tweedell, christened at St. Dunstans in the East, Stepney, on May 17th 1685. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of Robert de Twedhall, which was dated 1279, in the "Assize Rolls of Northumberland", during the reign of King Edward 1, known as "The Hammer of the Scots", 1272 - 1307. Throughout the centuries surnames in every country have continued to "develop", often leading to astonishing variants of the original spelling.