Kidwell

Recorded in an extraordinary number of spellings including Keddle, Kedle, Kedwell, Keedwell, Kiddle, Kidwell, and Keedell, this is an English locational surname. It is believed to derive from a place called 'Kidael' or similar meaning 'cattle valley' from the Olde English pre 7th century 'cy' meaning cattle and 'dael' a steep valley, or possibly 'cy-waella' which would describe a spring or well where the catttle went to drink . An estimated five thousand British surnames are known to originate from 'lost' sites', and this would seem to be one of them. The surname is well documented under a wide variety of alternative spellings, suggesting that a wholesale clearance took place of the original site in the 15th century, probably as a result of sheep farming or plague. The name recordings include Agnes Kyddall who married Peter Penne at St Margarets, Westminster, on January 22nd 1572, Frances Kedwell, who was christened at the church of St. Lawrence Pountney, city of London on April 20th 1600, John Keddle, who was christened at St Dunstans in the East, Stepney, on December 28th 1617, Judith Kidwell who married Peter Cathu on July 13th 1676 at St. Dunstans, and the rare Keedwell, a later recording on June 20th 1872 when Mary Jane Keedwell married F.W. Medhurst at Friern Barnet Church. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of Abraha Kidwell, which was dated January 19th 1564, christened at St. Mary Whitechapel, London, during the reign of Queen Elizabeth 1, known as "Good Queen Bess", 1558 - 1603. Throughout the centuries, surnames in every country have continued to "develop" often leading to astonishing variants of the original spelling.