Source 1: Fifty Great Migration Colonists To New England & Their Origins;
John Sawtell of Aller, Somersetshire, England, is the earliest Sawtell that can be identified as an ancestor; He calls his wife Agnes in his will;
Source 2: Lambeth Will 440 a Whitgift; Will of John Sawtell dated 20 May 1591;
An abstract of the will reads as follows:
20 May 1591: The will of John Sawtell, alias Dolman of Aller, county Somerset: To be buried in the churchyard of Aller; to the church 12d; to my son Wiolliam Dolman my wain and new wheels, with band and all tackling belonging to the plough; to my son John Dolman four acres of meadow lying by the Mastbrookes Drove and after his decease to William Dolman, my son, and after his decease to Adrian Masters; To my daughter Joan l10; to Adrian Masters one heiffer of one year old; to my daughter Joans children one ewe lamb apiece; to my daughter Lucys children one cow which is called Hurye, to be delivered when she calved; my son William to have the use of the same for the children until they all come to age; to son William Dolman l 10; to my daughter Joan l10 more to be paid at her mothers decease; to my son John Dolman l10 to be paid at his mothers decease; to my son-in-law Robert Masters one bay mare colt of two years age; residue to Agnes Dolman my wife, whom I make sole executrix; Proved 26 August 1591 by Agnes Sawtell aias Dolman, relict and executrix; Inventory; l84. 6.8;
The name Sawtell seems to have originated in Somersetshire. Here the name is found in ancient records back to the early 1500s.
Richard, John and Robert Sawtell are listed in the Lay Subsidy Roll for 1524 in Curry Rivel, Somerset.
Robert Sawtell of Langport Westover was Baliff in 1537.
The Lay Subsidy return for 1327 lists several Christian names followed by place identifications; Among these listings was a Thoma Atte Hele, i.e. Thomas At Hele. It is suggested that this might be the origin of the Sawtell family of Somerset; Sometime between 1327 & 1524, the spelling changed, first to Thomas Sattel and then to Thomas Sawtell, this being the origin of the Somerset surname of Sawtell. Hele was a hamlet or part o Cury Rivel, and is possibly the present Heale, where the first trace of the Somerset Sawtell family is found:!!
**A John Sawtell of Drayton, Somerset, England, whose will mas proved in 1549, was described as alias dolman. He was certainly related to the above John and might have been his father. Drayton is a mere five miles from Aller;
There is no known use for the alias of Dolman which the children also used;
I wonder if it could be the maiden name of Agnes and was handed down to her children & grandchildren?