Binnall

Recorded in a wide variety of spellings including Binnal, Binnall, Binal, Binell, Binnell, Bynall, Bynold, and probably other, this is an English surname. It displays the classic signs of a 'lost' village name. Some three thousand surnames of the British Isles are known to originate from nowe lost villages or even towns, which is some way have disappeared from the maps and gazetters in the past five hundred years. Sometimes either the relevant surname or place name has changed completely, making identification difficult if not impossible, but often early villages were simple constructions, that rotted away. However the usual explanation is that the development of sheep farming initially for wool and later for wood and meat, required far fewer workers and tenants, than the previousd arable working. As a result many people were forced to leave to seek work, and by this means whole villages were often cleared and the remaining tenants amalgamated into other villages, taking as their surname, the name of their former home. Spelling being at best indifferent, soon lead to the creation od 'soundfs like' spellings. The name probably means 'by the hill', although other explanations are possible. Early examples of the surname recording include those of Raphe Bynnell at St Mary at Hill, on July 18th 1563, and Ann Bynold at St Georges Mayfair, on July 7th 1641, both in the city of London.