CANTWELL

The family history of the ancient name Cantwell was found in the irishsurnames.com archives. Families of the name Cantwell arrived in Ireland with the Anglo-Norman invasion of 1172. The first Cantwell on record was a de Cantwell who was listed in the Records of Ormond in the Foundation Charter of Owney Abbey in the year 1200. Their lands lay in the baronies of Knocktopher and Gowran, and in County Kilkenny at Cantwell's Court. In 1598 they were listed among the principal gentlemen in Counties Kilkenny and Tipperary. Two of the name were officers in the army of King James II and one was Sheriff of Kilkenny in the year 1691. In the year 1208 a Cantwell was registered in the Monastery at Kells. Two other Cantwells were Archbishops of Cashel between the years 1405 and 1452. The Gaelic form of this name is 'de Cantual'.The Cantwell family crest (or coat of arms) came into existence many centuries ago. The process of creating these coats of arms began as early as the eleventh century although a form of Proto-Heraldry may have existed in some countries prior to this, including Ireland. The new more formalized art of Heraldry made it possible for families and even individual family members to have their very own family crest, coat of arms, including Cantwell descendants.