A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames with Special American Instances
by
Charles Wareing Endell Bardsley
published by Henry Frowde, London 1901
The entries on page 732 include
Swindell, Swindle. - Local, 'of Swindale,' a chapelry in the parish of Shap, co. Westmoreland.
1540. Buried -
Alys Swyndelle : St. Dionis
Backchurch, p.178
1608. Richard Westrawe and Agnes Swindell : Marriage
Lic. (London), i. 308
1790. Married - John Swindell and Lydia Mullins : St.
Geo. Han. Sq. ii 36.
London, 4, 0 ; Boston (U.S.), 1, 1.
Swindells, Swindles. - Local, 'of Swindells,' most
probably the spot referred to in the following :
'A branch of the family of Howford held a small estate here (Bosden)
in the 14th century, called "Swyndelves" ' : East Cheshire, i. 264.
This was in the parish of Cheadle, in which immediate district all our Swindells have sprung (for the suffix, v. Delf).
Roger Swyndels, of Marple, 1522 : East Cheshire, ii. 52 n.
1561. Married - Humfry Swyndells and Isabell Woorthe :
Prestbury Ch. (co. Ches.), p. 5.
William Swindells, of Stockport : Wills at Chester (1545 - 1620), p.186.
John Swindells, of Northenden, 1620, ibid.
1656. Bapt. - Ursula, d. of John Swendalls : St. Jas.
Clerkenwell, i. 195.
London, 2, 0 ; Manchester, 10, 0 ; MDB (co. Ches.), 7, 0 ;
Boston (U.S.), 1, 0 ; Philadelphia, 1, 1.
Swindlehurst, Swinglehurst. - Local, 'of Swindlehurst.' This is a North-English surname, but I canmnot find the precise locality. It is quite clear that Swinglehurst is a corruption of Swindlehurst ; v. Swindell and Hurst. The meaning would seem to be 'the wood in the swine-dale.'
1576. John Swinlehurst, of Chepin :
Lancashire Wills at Richmond, i. 267
1594. William Swindlehurst, of Clitheroe : Wills at
Chester, i. 186
1623. Bapt. - Richard, [?] Roger Swinglehurst : St.
Jas. Clerkenwell, i. 96
1635. William Swinglehurst, of CHepin : Lancashire
Wills at Richmond, i. 267
Manchester, 0, 1 ; MDB, (West Rid. Yorks), 4, 0 ; Boston (U.S.),
Philadelphia, 0, 1.
Swingler. - Occup. 'the swingler,' i.e. a flax-beater, possibly a wool-beater, hence 'swingling-stick, a stick used for beating or opening wool or flax. Lanc.' (Halliwell). 'Fleyhe, swyngyl, tribulum' : Prompt. Parv. 'Swingle, a staff for beating flax ' (Skeat, and see his article).
Nicholas Swingler, 1682 : St. Peter, Cornhill, p.9.
London, 3 ; Derby, 5
Also:
Swinbank. - Local, 'of Swinbank,' probably the spot where the swine fed. The spot is somewhere in or near the parish of Ravenstonedale, co. Westm.
Reynold Swynebank, 1541 : Hist. and Traditions of
Ravenstonedale, co. Westm., W. Nicholls, p.113
Cuthbert Swynebank, 1541 : ibid.
Liverpool, 1 ; M.D.B. (co. Durham), 1.
Notes
1 It seems to me to be unlikely that 'swingling' would be a distinguishing occupation at the time of surname formation in the fourteenth century. A consonant shift from Swindle to Swingle - as suggested above for Swinglehurst and as apparently occurred with the word 'shingle' from shindle for a wooden roof slate - appears more likely.
2 More information about
Swyndelves. The
reference to East Cheshire is 'East Cheshire : Past and Present, Or, A History of the Hundred of
Macclesfield. John Parsons Earwaker 1877, 1880'.