Re: Origin of Tooley surname
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In reply to:
Origin of Tooley surname
1/31/01
Guess I will just jump in here and pass on some thoughts.
I started researching my line in 1975.I have seen my maiden name spelled Tewel, Tewell, Tool, Toole, Tooley, Tooly, Tuel, Tuely, Tule, Tuley, Tull, Tuly and just about any other phonetic spelling you can thing of.When I am researching away from home I take a printed sheet with all the variations of the spelling of all my lines with me.We need to always remind ourselves that the spelling of our names are only as litterate as the person who was writing it down.Perhaps a person with well intentions was trying to teach another how to spell his name or how to write.This person may or may not have known how to spell the others name so he/she took a guess.Therefore, Toole became Tuley as in Tool--e with a long sounding e.
I only know about my Tool's who by family tradition were from Ireland with a little stop over in England before emigrating to America.There is a French connection as follows from "Your Irish Ancestors--An Illustrated History of Irish Families and their Origins" by J. Anderson Black.
The spelling from the Gaelic was originially
O Tuathail with a common variation Toal.This is one of the great septs of Leinster, noted especially for their tough and long-lasting resistance against the English.Originally of Co. Kildare, they were forced to move to Co. Wicklow at the time of the Anglo-Norman invation and there they managed to hold their own against the English up to the end of the 17th century when all of Ireland finally cme under their domination. Later, in the 18th century, several O'Tooles fought as officers in the Irish Brigades on the Continent int he wars against the English.....Now
here is the French part..."Larence O'Toole (b. 1722) of Co. Wexford (next to Co. Wicklow) Ireland, joined the Irish Brigade inFrance and had eight sons all of whom served in theFrence army.The oldes of these, Col. John O'Toole (d. 1823), was created as a Count and is the ancestor of Count O'Toole of Limoges."
I have another explination that I will send if anyone wants it.