The Ancestral Hurle/Hurl Family of Somerset/Wiltshire
Richard L. Tolman, Ph. D.
Priscilla Clark’s mother was Fanny Hurle (1801-1861); see other Priscilla Clark-related essays on this website. One is tempted to pronounce Fanny’s surname (hur’ lee), but research into the surname reveals that Hurle ancestors preferred spelling the name Hurl, making one doubt the correctness of pronouncing it with two syllables. The family in the 17th century was in Trowbridge on the western edge of Wiltshire (the Melksham Hundred). Fanny was born and raised in Rode on the eastern edge of Somersetshire (the Frome Hundred), opposed to and a few miles south of Trowbridge (see Figure 1).
One at-DNA match, common ancestor Richard Hurle (Fanny’s father) to ETS, a paternal aunt of the author was discovered and is shown in Cluster 1. ‘Maureen4611’1 is descended from Fanny’s brother William.
Many Hurle matches were discovered to the Hurle family in Trowbridge, Wiltshire, shown in Cluster 2 including ‘rpotts’2, ‘growtrees’3, ‘kimypie1’4, ‘betaylor’5, ‘Barbara McCrae’6, ‘jerry_mayer72’7, ‘Steve Thurston’8, ‘rusawdavid’9, ‘dvd1of1ferguson’10, ‘C. D.’11, and ‘westridge9’12.
The big question is—where did Richard Hurle, father of Fanny, come from before he married Mary Cox of Evercreech parish in Somerset. There was a Richard Hurle born/christened 1765 in Nether Stowey (on the far western side of Somerset); he would have been abt 26 yrs. at his marriage in 1791. However, considering the cM of the Trowbridge matches—the Trowbridge family must have been fairly closely-related to our Richard Hurle which favors a Wiltshire origin for Richard Hurle.13
Trowbridge, Wiltshire is located on the Salisbury Plain—a ‘chalk plateau’ or flat grassland; the Hurls lived there in the 17th and 18th century presumably for reasons of employment. But the family had an affinity for the southern hills to the south (their origins), an area called the Cranborne Chase—Kingston-Deverill, Monkton-Deverill, Sutton Veny, and Bishopstrow are all located there. In old age this is where the old folks retreated to die. The area was more prominent before the time of King Henry VIII who abolished in mid-16th century the Glastonbury Abbey (among others); these little villages (Monkton-Deverill and Kingston-Deverill) were originally Manors belonging to the Glastonbury Abbey (ruins directly west of this area) in Somerset. The John Hurl family left Kingston-Deverill when he married Ann Phillips in Trowbridge.
The Wiltshire parishes under discussion in the Trowbridge area and the Warminster area are shown in Figure 1 (note the position of Rode parish on the western margin of Somerset).
GENEALOGICAL SUMMARY
Generation One
1. William Hurl was christened14 21 Nov 1703 at Bishopstrow, Wiltshire (close to Warminster), the son of Thomas and Elizabeth (Player) Hurle.15,16 He was buried17 1 Jun 1753 at Kingston-Deverill, Wiltshire. He married18 17 Sep 1736 at Heytesbury, Wiltshire Mary Lane the dau of Robert Lane. She was christened19 19 Jan 1713 at Heytesbury parish, Wiltshire. She died/was buried20 23 Aug 1764 at Brixton Deverill, Wiltshire.
William and Mary (Lane) Hurle had five children. At this time there were at least 3 Hurle families in the parish that were having children.
2. i. MARY HURLE was christened21 11 Apr 1735 and died22 25 Feb 1742/3 at Kingston-Deverill, Wiltshire.
3. ii. HANNAH HURLE was christened23 8 Dec 1737 and died24 26 Dec 1737 at Kingston-Deverill, Wiltshire.
4. iii. JANE HURLE was christened25 20 Dec 1738 at Kingston-Deverill, Wiltshire.
5. iv. PETER HURLE was christened26 30 Oct 1743 at Kingston-Deverill, Wiltshire. He married27 20 Nov 1768 at Kingston-Deverill Joanna Trimby.
+ 6. v. JOHN HURLE was christened 3 Oct 1746 at Kingston-Deverill, Wiltshire. He married Anne Phillips.
Generation Two
6. John Hurle was christened28 9 Oct 1746 at Kingston-Deverill, Wiltshire and died29 Dec 1841 at West Coulston, Wiltshire. He was the son of William and Mary (Lane) Hurle. He married30 25 Dec 1771 at Trowbridge, Wiltshire Anne Phillips31 dau of William and Elizabeth Phillips. She was christened32 4 Dec 1748 at Trowbridge, Wiltshire and died33 24 Aug 1815 (age 67) at Monkton-Deverill, Wiltshire.
John and Anna (Phillips) Hurle had at least five children.
+ 7. i. JAMES HURLE was christened 1772 and died Jul 1845 at Trowbridge, Wiltshire. He married Sarah Tugwell.
8. ii. SAMUEL RICHMAN HURLE was christened34 25 Dec 1772 at at St. James with St. Stephen, Trowbridge, Wiltshire and died35 9 Mar 1851 (age 76) at Trowbridge, Wiltshire. He married36 21 Nov 1797 at Trowbridge, Wiltshire Mary Millard.
+ 9. iii. RICHARD HURLE37 was was likely born 1773 in Trowbridge, Wiltshire and died 24 Mar 1836 (age 63) at Sutton Veny, Wiltshire. He married Mary Cox.
10. iv. JOHN HURLE was christened38 16 Jan 1774 at St. James with St. Stephen, Trowbridge, Wiltshire.39 He married40 17 Jul 1797 at Trowbridge, Wiltshire Mary Naish. Three children. He was a private in the 9th Regiment of Foot, pensioner in 1817 (age 43).41
11. v. ELIZABETH HURLE was christened42 25 Dec 1783 at Trowbridge, Wiltshire. She married43 24 Jun 1811 at Trowbridge, Wiltshire James Naish (a widower).
Generation Three
7. James Hurle was christened 1772 and died44 Jul 1845 at Trowbridge, Wiltshire. He married abt 1792 at Trowbridge, Wiltshire Sarah Tugwell dau of John Tugwell. She was born 1772. They lived in Trowbridge, Wiltshire in 1841.45
James and Sarah (Tugwell) Hurl had two sons.46
12. i. JOHN HURLE was christened47 25 Aug 1793 at Trowbridge, Wiltshire.
13. ii. JAMES HURLE was christened 13 Feb 1796 at Trowbridge, Wiltshire and died 1838 at Port Hope, Northumberland, Ontario, Canada. He married48 10 Feb 1817 at Saint James, Trowbridge, Wiltshire Jane Turvill dau of John and Elizabeth (Marrot) Turvill. She was born 1801 at Wiltshire and died 1871 at Port Hope, Northumberland, Ontario, Canada.49 Seven children: Margaret (b. 1819), Mary (b. 1821), James (b. 1825), Joseph (b. 1827), Elizabeth (b. 1832), Jane (b. 1835), and Sarah Ann (b. 1838).
‘kimypie1’, ‘C. D.’ and ‘westridge9’ are descendants of James Hurl (1796-1838) through dau Mary (1821-1913).
‘rpotts26’, ‘growtrees’, ‘Barbara McCrae’, ‘jerry_mayer72’, and ‘dvd1of1ferguson’ are descendants of James Hurl (1796-1838) through son James (1823-1913).
‘rusawdavid’ is a descendant of James Hurl (1796-1838) through son Joseph (1827-1886).
‘betaylor28’ and ‘Steve Thurston’ are descendants of James Hurl (1796-1838) through dau Elizabeth (1832-1906).
9. Richard Hurle50 was likely born 1773 in Trowbridge, Wiltshire and died51 24 Mar 1836 (age 63) at Sutton Veny, Wiltshire. He was a son of John and Ann (Phillips) Hurle. He married52 3 Oct 1791 at Evercreech, Somerset Mary Cox born 2 Feb 1765 and christened53 6 Apr 1765 at Evercreech parish, Somerset.54 The family lived in Rode parish, Somerset until after 1808 when they moved to Chapmanside, Wiltshire.
Richard and Mary (Cox) Hurle had eleven children born in the Rode, Somerset parish:55
14. i. JAMES HURLE was christened 9 Dec 1792 at Rode parish, Somerset.
15. ii. MARIA HURLE was christened 10 Mar 1793 at Rode parish, Somerset.
16. iii. EDWARD HURLE was christened 27 Jul 1794 at Rode parish, Somerset.
17. iv. MARY HURLE was christened 20 Dec 1795 at Rode parish, Somerset and died56 1814 at Chapmanside, Wiltshire, England.
18. v. FANNY HURLE was christened 14 Jan 1798, buried 2 Jan 1801 at Rode parish, Somerset.
19. vi. RICHARD HURLE was christened 21 Jul 1799, buried 17 Sep 1799 at Rode parish, Somerset.
20. vii. FANNY HURLE was christened 8 Mar 1801 at Rode parish, Somerset and died after 1861. She married57 29 Jan 1826 at Buckland-Denham, Somerset James Clark christened 6 Jan 1793 at Buckland-Denham, Somerset son of John and Betty (née Kinton) Clark. He was buried 14 Jan 1865 at Buckland-Denham, Somerset.
(for details on this family, see ‘The Life and Times of English Immigrant Priscilla (née Clark) (Pickett) (Pickett) Wilford (1826-1869)’ at www.29deadpeople.com.
21. viii. JOSEPH HURLE was christened 24 Mar 1803 at Rode parish, Somerset and died/was buried58 22 Jul 1810 at Chapmanside, Wiltshire, England.
22. ix. THOMAS HURLE was was christened59 15 Jan 1806 at Rode, Somerset.
23. x. WILLIAM HURLE was born 1806 at Rode, Somerset, England and died 12 Oct 1883 at Geelong, Victoria, Australia. He married60 6 Feb 1843 at Launceston, Tasmania, Australia Mary Patterson. She was born 1814 and died 1898.
‘maureen46111’ is a descendant of William Hurle (1806-1883).
24. xi. CHARLOTTE HURLE was christened61 13 Nov 1808 at Rode, Somerset, England. She married62 8 Mar 1835 St. John at Frome, Somerset Edmund Gerard.
NOTES
1. ‘Challis/Robinson/PITSTOCK’, owner maureen46111, www.ancestry.com/family-tree/tree/53088870 and ‘martin and nelson_2013_02_25’ www.ancestry.com/family-tree/tree/53091894; some sources (accessed 11 Jul 2020); hereafter maureen4611.
2. ‘Robert Potts Family Tree’, owner rpotts26, www.ancestry.com/family-tree/tree/75794102; no sources (accessed 11 Jul 2020).
3. ‘Hurl Family Tree’, owner growtrees, www.ancestry.com/family-tree/tree/24566845; some sources (accessed 11 Jul 2020); hereafter growtrees.
4. ‘Campbell Family Tree’, owner kimypie1, www.ancestry.com/family-tree/tree/26689389; some sources (accessed 11 Jul 2020).
5. ‘Taylmurr1’, owner betaylor28, www.ancestry.com/family-tree/tree/23247891; some sources (accessed 11 Jul 2020).
6. ‘Doreen Potts Family Tree’, owner Doreen Potts, www.ancestry.com/family-tree/tree/81887352; no sources (accessed 11 Jul 2020).
7. ‘Hurl_2020’, owner jerry_mayer72, www.ancestry.com/family-tree/tree/79490502; no sources (accessed 11 Jul 2020).
8. ‘Thurston Family Tree’, owner Steve Thurston, www.ancestry.com/family-tree/tree/1040049; some sources (accessed 11 Jul 2020).
9. ‘david Rusaw Family Tree’, owner rusawdavid, www.ancestry.com/family-tree/tree/49978471; no sources (accessed 11 Jul 2020).
10. ‘Ferguson Family Tree’, owner dvd1of1ferguson, www.ancestry.com/family-tree/tree/88878580; no sources (accessed 11 Jul 2020).
11. ‘Campbell Family Tree’, owner kimypie1, www.ancestry.com/family-tree/tree/26689389; no sources (accessed 11 Jul 2020).
12. ‘Sutton/Baptie/Calhoun/Simpson Family Tree’, owner westridge9, www.ancestry.com/family-tree/tree/15208846; no sources (accessed 11 Jul 2020).
13.FamilySearch Family Tree has a Richard Hurle, born abt 1775 as a son of John and Ann (Phillips) Hurle of Trowbridge, but with no souces.
14. England Births and Christenings, online atFamilySearch https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:NBPL-WS3.
15. Hurle/Player marriage: 21 Aug 1700 at Bishopstrow, Wiltshire; Wiltshire Family History Society, Seven Warminster parishes, CMB13v12.pdf.
16. Not to be confused with the Thomas Hurle of Monkton-Deverill (d. 1753, married Ann, son of Thos.’ will probated 1756 at Monkton-Deverill), who was raising a family at the same time as Thomas and Elizabeth.
17. Wiltshire, England Church of England Baptisms, Marriages, and Burials, Kingston-Deverill parish; online at Ancestry (accessed 22 Jul 2020).
18. Hurl/Lane marriage: England, Select Marriages 1538-1973, FHL Film 1279342, online at Ancestry (accessed 22 Jul 2020).
19. Wiltshire Baptisms index 1530-1917, Heytesbury, Wiltshire, online at FindMyPast (accessed 7 Aug 2020).
20. Wiltshire Burials index 1538-1990, Brixton Deverill, Wiltshire, online at FindMyPast (accessed 7 Aug 2020).
21. England Births and Christenings, online atFamilySearch https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:NBPW-8NR.
22. Wiltshire Family History Society, The Deverills plus 4, CMB01v12.pdf.
23. England Births and Christenings, online atFamilySearch https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:NRPX-T77.
24. Wiltshire Family History Society, The Deverills plus 4, CMB01v12.pdf.
25. England Births and Christenings, online atFamilySearch https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:N6SS-2QX.
26. England Births and Christenings, online atFamilySearch https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:NBPW-H8H.
27. Hurle/Trimby marriage: Wiltshire Family History Society, The Deverills plus 4, CMB01v12.pdf.
28. England Births and Christenings, online atFamilySearch https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:J7DJ-X8W.
29. England and Wales, Civil Registration Death Index, Vol 8, p. 244, Oct-Nov-Dec 1841, Melksham, Wiltshire, online at Ancestry (accessed 22 Jul 2020).
30. Hurle/Phillips marriage: England Marriages, online atFamilySearch https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:NLWL-BPX.
31. There is another Ann Phillips (b. 1735) who married Thomas Hurl (b. 1736, son of Thomas of Longbridge-Deverill); they raised a family in Monkton-Deverill, Wiltshire. They had a son John (b. 30 Jun 1774, Monkton-Deverill parish register); perhaps he is the one living in Rode, Somerset {1841 England and Wales Census of Road, Somerset, Beckinton, HO 107/942, 1841; James (age 67, b. 1774) and Mary (age 68), cloth workers}.
32. England Births and Christenings, online atFamilySearch https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:NRGK-K82.
33. England Deaths and Burials, online atFamilySearch https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:J88G-GJX and Wiltshire Family History Society, The Deverills plus 4, CMB01v12.pdf.
34. England Births and Christenings, online atFamilySearch https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:J9X2-JZH.
35. Church of England Deaths and Burials, Wiltshire, Trinity parish Trowbridge; online at Ancestry (accessed 20 Jul 2020).
36. Hurle/Millard marriage: Wiltshire Family History Society, Trowbridge, CMB20v12.pdf.
37.FamilySearch Family Tree has a Richard Hurle, born abt 1775 as a son of John and Ann (Phillips) Hurle of Trowbridge, but with no sources.
38. England Births and Christenings, online atFamilySearch https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:J35L-HVC.
39. 1841 England and Wales Census of Trowbridge, Wiltshire, Melksham Hundred, Piece 1182, Book 13, Folio 15, Page 23; John ‘Huarl’ (age 66) and a son Alfred (age 19); online at Ancestry (accessed 22 Jul 2020).
40. Hurl/Naish marriage: England and Wales Marriages 1538-1988, online at Ancestry (accessed 22 Jul 2020).
41. Jno Hurle, ‘Towbridge’: UK, Royal Hospital, Chelsea: Regimental Register of Pensioners; online at Ancestry (accessed 22 Jul 2020).
42. England Births and Christenings, online atFamilySearch https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:N552-HXT and https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:NBG2-MB5.
43. Hurle/Millard marriage: Wiltshire Family History Society, Trowbridge, CMB20v12.pdf.
44. England and Wales, Civil Registration Death Index, Vol 8, p. 231, Jul-Aug-Sep 1845, Melksham, Wiltshire, online at Ancestry (accessed 22 Jul 2020).
45. 1841 England and Wales Census of Road, Wiltshire, Trowbridge District 5, Piece 1182, Book 10, Folio 26, Page 5; James (age 70) and Sarah (age 70), cloth dresser and wool picker.
46. FamilySearch Family Tree has other children for this couple, born 20 years later and in Frome, Somerset; no sources tying them to this Wiltshire family.
47. England and Wales, Christening Index 1530-1980, online at Ancestry (accessed 22 Jul 2020).
48. Hurl/Turvill marriage: Church of England marriages, Trowbridge, Wilshire, FHL Film 1279313; online at Ancestry (accessed 22 Jul 2020).
49. growtrees.
50.FamilySearch Family Tree has a Richard Hurle, born abt 1775 as a son of John and Ann (Phillips) Hurle of Trowbridge, but with no sources.
51. Church of England Deaths and Burials, Wiltshire, Sutton Veny; online at Ancestry (accessed 20 Jul 2020).
52. Hurle/Cox marriage: Church of England, Evercreech, Somerset parish, FHL British Film 1440,950 item 4.
53. Mary Cox christening: Church of England, Evercreech parish, FHL British Film 1440,950 Parish Register transcription.
54. Note: the three children of Richard (b. abt 1740) and Jane Hurle, born at Nether Stowey, Somerset are John (christened 17 Jun 1763), Richard (christened 18 Aug 1765) and Ann (christened 27 Dec 1768); Church of England, Nether Stowey, Somerset parish, FHL British Film 1470,910 item 11, frames 28, 32, 40 respectively.
55. Christenings/burials of the first eight Hurle-Cox children: Church of England, Rode (Somerset) parish, FHL British Film 1526,726 item 25.
56. England Deaths and Burials 1538-1991, Wiltshire, parish burials, father: Richd, mother: Mary; online at FIndMyPast (accessed 7 Aug 2020).
57. Clark-Hurle marriage record, Buckland-Denham Parish marriage register 1754-1813, p. 11, SRO; FHL microfilm 1,526,441, item 19, frame 8.
58. England Deaths and Burials 1538-1991, Wiltshire, parish burials, father: Richd, mother: Mary; online at FIndMyPast (accessed 7 Aug 2020).
59. Somerset, England, Church of England Baptisms, Marriages, and Burials 1531-1812, online at Ancestry (accessed 22 Jul 2020).
60. Hurle/Patterson marriage: Australia Marriage Index, Reg. no. 126; online at Ancestry (accessed 19 Jul 2020); see maureen46111 trees for additional sources/details.
61. Somerset, England, Church of England Baptisms, Marriages, and Burials 1531-1812, online at Ancestry (accessed 22 Jul 2020).
62. Somerset, England, Church of England Marriage Register, Bonds and Allegations 1823-1836, online at Ancestry (accessed 22 Jul 2020).