Guild of One-Name Studies
One-name studies, Genealogy
This study is no longer registered with the Guild, but this profile page has been retained at the member's request. Please note that neither officers nor members of the Guild are able to answer any questions about this study.
A study website has been preserved by the Guild: coldwell.one-name.net
My aim is to the establish the entire worldwide 'family tree' for the COLDWELL/COULDWELL surname. For various reasons this aim may not be achieved but I hope to get close to it.
I want to expand the study to the present day and wider afield by exchanging information with living Coldwell people.
Please email me if you wish to find out more about the Coldwell family.
Note that Coldwell is a separate family from Caldwell which is not covered by this study.
The main variant of Coldwell is Couldwell and this surname tends to occur mostly in the southern part of Yorkshire. Occasionally Coldwell also gets transformed into a Cowgill which is confusing because the name exists in its own right unconnected with Coldwell. I have also found a few Coldhill as variants of Coldwell. Occasionally there are other variants arising from minor changes in spelling but these are few in number and are usually apparent by tracing the particular family backwards to find the original name.
The earliest reference I have found to Coldwell is in 1376 to John de Coldewelle involved in a dispute with John de Malleshedde at Austonley (West Riding Manorial Court Records). In the same year Thomas de Coldewelle surrendered a cottage and five roods of land in Wooldale, Holmfirth, Huddersfield. Several other early references exist including this interesting item in 1447/8 at Scholes, Holmfirth: a bye-law that Agnes Coldewelle should repair and mend the common way at New Mill near Huddersfield. This is the first evidence of a connection with the new corn mill (new pre 1447!). Coldwell (now Coldhill) Lane leads to the mill site in New Mill. There are many more early references to Coldwell in the Wakefield records.
Some interesting Coldwell people:
John Coldwell 1535-1596 Doctor of Medicine and Bishop of Salisbury, England. He had five children.
William Coldwell Born 1694 died aged 108. In 1760 he moved to Nova Scotia. 2000 ancestors born in NS.
John Coldwell 1788-1819. Convicted in 1813 and transported to New South Wales arriving July 1814.
William Edward Coldwell 1795-1867 Priest who became Presbendary of Litchfield
Robert Coldwell 1803-1856 Weathy Wakefield woollen manufacturer
Francis Henry Coldwell 1829-1922 Bishop of Leicester changed name to THICKNESSE to wife's line.
Clement Leigh Coldwell 1833-1903 Highly regarded priest in Scottish Episcopal church.
Henry Herbert Coldwell-Horsfall Wealthy manufacturer who changed his name to that of alleged father.
Wellond Marcellous Coldwell 1857-? Yukon Gold miner.
Vincent Coldwell 1880-1916 Captain Indian Army Cavalry. Died in Basra, Iraq.
Colbert Coldwell 1883-1967 Co-founder of the Coldwell-Banker real estate business
Major James William Coldwell 1889-1974 Leader of Canadian Socialist Party (NOT an army Major)
Cec Coldwell 1929-2008 Professional footballer at Sheffield, England
Pedro Joaquin Coldwell 1950 - living. Senior Mexican politician and PRI part leader
Pattie Coldwell 1952-2002 Popular outspoken UK TV personality
The Coldwell (and variants Y-DNA test project) was established in December 2012.
For more info please see www.familytreedna.com/group-join.aspx?Group=Couldwell
The Coldwell/Couldwell Y-DNA Project welcomes all participants. Males are encouraged to join to learn more about their origins and ancestry. The Y DNA test tells you about your direct male line, which would be your father, his father, and back in time. You must be male to take this test because females do not carry their fathers YDNA. Choose a 37 Markers test as this is usually adequate but if necessary a higher number of markers can be added later.
The project also covers surnames - Coldhill, Coudell, Cowdell, Cowdill which are often linked to the Coldwell family.
Participating is an opportunity to uncover information not provided in the paper records, which will help with your family history research. It will also discover which family trees are related. As the project progresses, the results for the various family trees will provide information about the evolution of the surname.
Coldwell Web Site
www.coldwell-roots.co.uk
DNA Project
www.familytreedna.com/group-join.aspx?Group=Couldwell