PENHALLOW FAMILY HISTORY
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HISTORY OF THE FAMILY
There are family members in: USA, UK, Australia, France, Canada, Austria,
Chile, South Africa
If you find these pages useful a small donation towards the cost of
running the site would be very welcome. Paypal to kevin@penhallow.net -
anything, large or small is gratefully accepted!
THE PENHALLOW FAMILY [1300-1992]
THE AMERICAN FAMILY
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The Family Tree
All the Penhallow's, Penhollow's and Penharlow's worldwide appear to be
related.
1. My late uncle, Walter Penhallow and my
late father, Victor Penhallow who compiled
most of the UK research between 1986 and 1992
2. Frank [Francis Edward Albert] Penhallow for passing his previous research
papers to the above and for providing support
3. Marjorie, wife of Ronald Penhallow, for providing her research on the
Australian Penhallows
4. Barbara Letchcombe for her Australian research into the Penhallow-Peters
family.
5. Thaxter Swan, son of Mary Warner Penhallow [Swan] for his research into
the Swan family which incorporates elements of Penhallows
6. Richard and Chadsey Penhallow in the USA
7. Commander Richard Winslow, a librarian working in Portsmouth, New
Hampshire, USA for providing information and newspaper clippings
8. Lorraine Harlow and Aileen de Long, both of Penhallow decent, the late
Authors of the book 'Richard - Who is he?' which details the whole American
family from Richard to the 1980s
For help with my Research and with contributions to this site:
1. Peter Penhallow [see links page] in California
for his support and information
2. Steve Maxe in MN, who has provided information and sent me a copy of the
DeLong / Harlow book
3. Judy Holthaus in Iowa for info on the Mallory Township Penhollows and
Palmers
4. Beth (Penhollow) Dodd in CA
5. Bert Penhollow
6. Cora Jane - Janie's Genealogy [see links
page]
7. Vance Middleton [see links page]
8. Charles Penhallow in Hawaii for his recollections and xmas letters
9. Don Penhollow in Michigan for the Homer Penhollow contributions
10.Jerry Penhollow in Florida for a copy of his Penhollow CD
11.Doug Penhollow, also in Florida, for a copy of his family tree
booklet.
and the numerous other members of the family in the UK, USA and Australia
who have provided information
by Walter & Victor Penhallow [1992]
Cornwall [the South West tip of England] in the late 13th century and the
early 14th century was a wild, barren place, and no part of Cornwall was
more unwelcomimg than the land east of the River Fal, known as the Rosewarne
Peninsular. It was almost entirely given over to farming and there were no
towns of note, the villages being under the control of the local Lord of the
Manor
It was necessary to cross the River Fal to reach the only town of any size,
Truro. Even today there is only one crossing over the river, at King Harry's
ferry. With travel in those days being extreemly difficult and the roads in
most cases impossible to use at certain times of the year, there is little
wonder that families did not move far away from their original
birthplace.
One such family was that which is known today as the Penhallow's, who lived
in and around a small hamlet [2001 photos] of that
name for almost four hundred years before any of them ventured forth.
The Rosewarne Peninsular today is still a part of Cornwall which attracts
few vistors and has no towns or villages of any great size, and the hamlet
(for it is little more than that even today) of Penhallow in the region of
Philleigh comprises Upper Penhallow farm, Lower Penhallow farm [photos] and a few cottages.
It was almost certainly on that farmland that the first person to call
himself Penhallow (Peter de Penhalau) lived and
raised a family.
The history of the family during the time that they belonged only to
Cornwall, shows that they lived in several of the villages near to the first
home.
Towards the end of the 13th century, when Peter Penhallow and his family
were living, there were few families - except of note and possibly of French
extraction - who had surnames. Most of them were refered to by their
occupation or by the place in which they lived. Such were John the Clerk
(Peter's brother) and Peter who took the name of the village of
Penhalau.
Although they started in the humblest way, renting their land and being
subservient to the lord of the manor, whose manorial home and offices were
in Treworthel, it was only a short span of time before they had progressed
to being called 'Gents'. They married into families of distinction, bought
land in several areas around Philleigh and by the early 1600s were one of
the families chosen by the King's equerries to produce information
concerning their holdings, in terms of land and cattle, details of persons
employed by them and anything else of importance which could be of use to
the King in times of war.
This visitation in 1620, to the family elders, John and Richard Penhallow,
is detailed in 'The Visitation of Cornwall 1620' which can be found in the
British Museum Library. This also details the family all the way back to
Peter de Penalau.
At the time of the visitation Richard Penhallow was awarded a Coat of Arms, in conjunction with the Penwarin family
whose daughter Mary was the heir of Vivian de Penwarin and had married John
Penhallow many years earlier.
The families of John and Richard at the time of the visitation were large
but within a few years almost all the decendants were female. By the early
1700s only one male, John Penhallow, is shown in our records as being in
England, and he died by the time he was 15. It would therefore seem that the
family had ceased to exist in England.
It was resurrected when Samuel Penhallow, son of Samuel Penhallow who had
previously emigrated from England to America, came to England, married and
had children and brought the English family 'back to life'.
All the present day Penhallow's in England can be traced back to Samuel and
his wife Olympe and through him and his father back to Peter de
Penhalau.
Meanwhile, Samuel [the elder] prospered in America, saw his family grow
rapidly in number and the present day large family in America can all be
traced back to him.
Today, the Penhallow's are spread far and wide, England, North America,
Hawaii, Australia, France, whilst one was born in Vienna, Austria in recent
times, another married in Thailand
No Penhallow's currently live in Cornwall. (2006)
It is only to be expected that endeavouring to trace and piece together
every one of the family over a period of 700 years will result in a few
'unsolved mysteries' and this is no exception. Efforts continue to be made
to tie-up the loose ends. [See Query page]
Samuel Penhallow, son of Chamond Penhallow, born
at St.Mabyn, Cornwall, England, was the father of the American family. All
the family born in America can be traced directly back to him [and so back
to Peter de Penalau]
As with the English family, there a few who have not yet been set in their
rightful place. [see Query page] Efforts continue
to remedy this and maybe some of those who take the trouble to wade through
the work may be able to resolve some of the mysteries. The American family
is some four time larger than the English.
When Samuel Penhallow came to America as a Missionary to the Red Indians and
defected from his mission to marry Mary Cutt, the country was young, the
indians were still fighting for their rights and one son, John Penhallow, in
particular, an honorary Captain in the Army, was in charge of a garrison at
Arrowsick Island on the Piscatagua River.
Many of the family became seafarers, not surprising as they lived mainly
around Portsmouth, New Hampshire. More than one commanded a vessel and
Samuel Penhallow who came to England, after, so the story goes, being cast
out by the family, was a Ships Master.
Over the years the family spread from New Hampshire into the surrounding
states and many of them fought in the Civil War and the other wars which
took place in America and in Europe. After the Civil War many were alloted
plots of land and became famers.
Many of the family held positions of note, none more so that Samuel himself
who has a space of some size in the Americana Encyclopedia. He also wrote a
book of note "Red Indians in Eastern America" which to this day is
considered to be the best work of its kind.
Pearce W Penhallow wrote a memoir of the Penhallow family which was
published in 1878 and can be found in American public libraries
The Penhallow name is considered unusual in England, as perhaps it should
be, as it is the only family to have used the name. In America it must have
seemed even more peculiar because it was changed by off-shoots to Penharlow,
Penhollow and even to Harlow. All these lines are recorded.
Home Page
The Family Tree
Famous / Prominent / High-Profile Penhallows, past and
present
An account of the English Penhallow family
1313-1653
History of the Penhollow family by Octavia Penhollow
1914
The Penhallow - Penwarin Coat of Arms. Penhallow room at
Victoria & Albert Museum, London
Old Family Photos
Old Family Stories and Misc Items
Recollections & Stories from Charles in Hawaii
Commander Homer Allen Penhollow - World War 2
Chautauqua County, NY. The Exodus for Connecticut and
other NE States - Ora Palmer Silen
Penhallow research queries
Penhallow Village, Cornwall, England
Penhallow Hamlet, Cornwall, England
If you find these pages useful a small donation towards the cost of
running the site would be very welcome. Paypal to kevin@penhallow.net -
anything, large or small is gratefully accepted!
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