The Battle Abbey Roll. Vol. III.
by
The Duchess of Cleveland.

Prepared by Michael A. Linton
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Sorell : Bardsley, in his 'English Surnames,' describes this as a nickname given to red-haired persons. "The young hind, from its early indefinite red, is known as 'Sorrell'; and Aubyn, in his 'Lives,' describes Butler, author of Hudibras. as having 'a head of sorrell haire.'" Hinds are, however, never called sorells; this appellation properly belongs to the young fallow deer, who grows from a fawn into "a pretty, pleasing prickett," thence to a sorell, a sore, and finally becomes a buck. Nor are we, I trust, bound to draw the inference that Agnes Sorel's hair was red.

This name is of very early occurrence in Leicestershire. Henry II. confirmed to Leicester Abbey by charter the churches of Thornton and Siresham, the gift of Thomas Sorrel; Simon Sorel witnesses a deed of Robert Blanchemains, Earl of Leicester, about 1180; and Lucas Sorell was a landowner in the time of John.—Nichol's Leicestershire. This is the last mention I can find of them in that county.

In Yorkshire Helias Sorel, for the health of himself and of Quinild his wife, gave some lands in Billingley to Monk Bretton.—Hunter's Deanery of Doncaster. In Gloucestershire Robert Sorell witnessed Edward II.'s charter to Keinsham Priory (Mon. Angl.). Tebbald Sorell, of Norfolk, occurs about 1199 in the Rotuli Curiae Regis: and there is some subsequent mention of the family in that county during the reign of Henry III. Thomas and Simon Sorel then held of the Earl Warren; Thomas gave some lands to Sibton Abbey in Suffolk; which were afterwards confirmed by Simon his brother. John Quirel, alias Sorel, and Agnes his wife were benefactors of Castleacre Priory in 1257.—Blomfield's Norfolk. In the Rotulus Magnus Pipae of the reign of Henry I., I find entered William Sorell of Suffolk. Thomas Sorel, resident in the Liberty of the Bishop of Ely in Cambridgeshire, was summoned to serve against the Scots in 1322.—Palgrave's Parl. Writs. Two others of the name, Richard and Robert, are also mentioned; the former in Wiltshire. In Essex, there was a John Sorell, living before 1626, whose son of the same name bought Hide Hall in 1650; the line ended with Richard Sorel in 1728. They bore Gules, two lions passant Ermine.—Morant's Essex.