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.
The LERWILL name (and its variants) specifically comes from northern Devon. Indeed, until the mid-19th century, the family was almost entirely still located within that county and had lived there for more than 700 years with very little movement outside that county.
My own line of LERWILLs emanates from Birmingham, but, as for the other lines in the family, originates from north Devon.
My work in the one-name study has been on-going for nearly 25 years, but it has relied a good deal on the research undertaken by the previous ONS member of the Guild covering our family name, the late Dr. Christopher Lerwill. I have mainly extended the work he undertook to include further findings of the family genealogy in the Jacobian period (owing to the loss of parish registers up to the late 17th c.) and also lesser-known lines of the family, many members of whom migrated to various parts of the colonial world and the United States.
My coverage includes the modern variants Lerwill, Lerwell, Larwill and Larwell, though my coverage of Larwill and Larwell is not as extensive as the main two names - Lerwill and Lerwell.
Please note that until the 19th c. the name was spelt in many forms, including Lerrawill, Lorrawill and even Laughwell.
The first holder of the family name originally appears to have been Vincent de Loriewille who was first mentioned in 1206. He may well have migrated from Picardy in mainland Europe.
The family's history in the Midlle Ages is somewhat fragmented, but more details can be found on the family history portion of my website (link given below).