Michael Linton's Bayeux Tapestry: 1066 - A Medieval Mosaic and Puzzles

Abell :

"a name which has not a very genuine sound as a surname."—Sir Egerton Brydges. Nevertheless, N. Abel held lands from Lanfranc in Kent 1086 (Domesday); and "Joh' Abel et Consorti Sue" were among the Kentish gentry summoned by a writ of Edward I. in the first year of his reign "to be present at his and the Queen's coronation at Westminster on the Sunday next after the feast of St. Valentine the Martyr."—Hasted's Kent.—This was probably the same Sir John Abell of Hering Hill in Erith, afterwards knighted at the siege of Carlaverock, who was sheriff of Surrey and Sussex in 1298, 1299, 1300, and 1301; and left two sons; 1, John, one of the Barons of the Exchequer 5 Ed. II., and 2, Walter, the owner of Foot's Cray. His coat of arms, Argent, a saltire engrailed Gules, is given in the 'Parliamentary Roll'—"probably of knights eligible to be called to the council of the nation"—by Sir Francis Palgrave. "His descendant, John Abell, died possessed of Hering Hill, about the latter end of Queen Elizabeth's reign; but his son Samuel was the last of the family there."—Ibid. A branch remained in Buckinghamshire, where six of the Abells lie buried in East Claydon Church. One of them (who died in 1661) was High Sheriff of the county. They bore Argent a saltire engrailed Azure.—Lipscomb's Bucks. The Abells of Essex had entirely different arms, and were, according to Morant, "originally considerable clothiers. John Abell (who died in 1558) held the Manor of Cooke's Hall of the Queen as of her Honour of Clare." In 1666, one of his descendants, William Abell, was living at Fordham, in the same county.—Ibid.