The name Marshall arrived in England after the Norman Conquest of 1066. It is a name for a blacksmith or a person who tended horses deriving
its origin from the Old English word marshal, which meant blacksmith. In medieval England, blacksmiths were extremely important because they
were employed by the nobility to look after the horses.
Early Origins of the Marshall family
The surname Marshall was first found in various counties in England including Cambridgeshire, Somerset and Oxfordshire where William le
Marechal, Gunnilda le Marescall and Robert Marescallus were all recorded respectively in the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273. Later, the
Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379 lists Willelmus de Scheplay, marciall, and Johannes Mareschall.
Migration of the Marshall family to the New World
Many English families emigrated to North American colonies in order to escape the political chaos in Britain at this time. Unfortunately,
many English families made the trip to the New World under extremely harsh conditions. Overcrowding on the ships caused the majority of
the immigrants to arrive diseased, famished, and destitute from the long journey across the stormy Atlantic. Despite these hardships, many
of the families prospered and went on to make invaluable contributions to the development of the cultures of the United States and Canada.
Early North American immigration records have revealed a number of people bearing the name Marshall.
