Origin of Surname
This name derives from the ancient French word meaning brown-skinned (Moorish) but the words was also used to mean a dark coloured cloth, so the surname may have indicated somebody's apparel as well as their skin.
It is a common name in Normandy and there are records of Rogerus Morel in 1198 and Jenah Morel in 1261.
Morellus is also found from 1080 as a given name and may have derived from the Gallo-Roman Maurellus and developed into Maurice and Morice.
The name is also found in Scotland as early as 1074, although the Jersey Morels may have came from France.
It should be borne in mind, however, that the name is just as likely to have been formed in situ, as were many others. Jersey`s well-established medieval population will have had as many swarthy individuals, when surnames came into use, as anywhere else.
Early records
The name features in the Assize Roll of 1309, with Colin and Richard Morel of St Lawrence, a parish with which the family has always been associated. In the 1331 Extente, Robert Morel of St Lawrence features, as does another Robert, who was a juror in St Martin.
In the late 19th and early 20th century, members of the St Lawrence family, having settled in Cardiff, became one of that port`s largest shipowners.
The indigenous Jersey Morels are believed to have become recently extinct within the Island, with the death of Miss Mary Morel of St Lawrence. The surname still flourishes though, as another family, descended from migrants in the 19th century from France, prosper.
The name first appears in Jersey baptismal registers in St Saviour, an early register, in 1543. Many of those individuals mentioned above are known to have predated the registers. Strangely for a family which has been present in the island for so long, and is still there today, there are only 83 recorded baptisms from 1543 to 1915.
- Robert Morel was born in Trinity about 1448. He had a daughter Catherine in 1460 who married Guilleaume Binet in 1479
- Another Robert Morel was botn in St Martin or Grouville about 1450
- Cattherine Morel was born in Trinity in 1474 and married Guilleaume Binet
- Henry Morel was born in Grouville about 1502 and married Michelle Amy in 1545
- Perronnelle Morel, born in Grouville about 1522, was the daughter of Jean (1500- ) and married Guillaume Bisson in October 1542.
- Catherine Morel was born in St Martin about 1529
Variants
- Morel, 1299
- Mourel 1607
- Morell 1505
- Moreaus 1331
- Morice
Family records
Family trees
- Descendants of Thomas Morel and Elizabeth Le Brocq
- Descendants of Edmond Morel
- Descendants of Nicholas Morel
Church records
- Morel baptisms in Jersey
- Morel marriages in Jersey (groom)
- Morel marriages in Jersey (bride)
- Morel burials in Jersey
Great War service
Sons of Jean Baptiste Morel and Marie Catherine
- Emile Henry Morel (1895-1915) Rifleman, King's Royal Rifle Corps, killed in action, father died same day
- Albert Paul Morel (1890- ) (St J) Driver, Canadian Artillery
- Frank A Morel (St H), Gunner, RFA
- George Emile Morel MSM (1887- ) (St H), Battery Sergeant Major RGA, wounded
- Jack Morel (1882- ) Mercantile Marine
Family wills
These wills created by members of the Morel family are now held by Jersey Archive. By visiting the archive site and using the names, dates and reference numbers shown here, it is possible to view a copy of each will. You will have to subscribe to the Archive's online service to do this. To find out more about this collection, which covers the period from 1663 to 1980, and how to search for your family's wills there, visit our Jersey wills page
Morel
- Morel : Arthur James , of Denehurst, Millbrook - 30/Apr/1952 , 23/Mar/1964 , D/Y/B1/78/54
- Morel : Elizabeth , widow of Jean de la Perrelle - 08/Apr/1907 , 28/Dec/1908 , D/Y/A/67/113
- Morel : Emily Rachel , of Stuart Villa, Millbrook, St Lawrence - 31/Aug/1949 , 15/Apr/1954 , D/Y/B1/24/17
- Morel : Francois Marie , ... - 06/Aug/1910 , 21/Jun/1924 , D/Y/A/84/82
- Morel : Francoise Elizabeth , daughter of Louise Morel of St Helier 16/12/1778 Desires to be buried in St Helier's Cemetery Bequeaths to the poor of St Helier, £2 sterling, to Susanne, Marie Anne, Elizabeth, and Madelaine Morel, £50 each in stock of 3% consoli annuities in England - makes further bequests of stock - Unknown date , 02/Aug/1783 , D/Y/A/13/90
- Morel : Ida , nee Malzard, La Fantaisie, Millbrook, St Lawrence - 10/May/1932 , 14/May/1936 , D/Y/A/99/12
- Morel : Jeanne Marie , widow of Alexandre Francois Cotillard of Penarth House, St Peter - 15/Nov/1945 , 19/Jan/1951 , D/Y/B1/7/75
- Morel : Jessie Louise , 1 Stuart Villas, St St Lawrence, temporarily residing at 31 The Walk, Cardiff - 15/Mar/1930 , 07/Apr/1930 , D/Y/A/90/60
- Morel : John Edward , 2 Stuart Villas, Millbrook - 17/Jun/1897 , 17/Jul/1924 , D/Y/A/84/92
- Morel : Joseph Marie , of Oaklands, St Mary - 14/Feb/1959 , 30/Jan/1967 , D/Y/B1/104/45
- Morel : Louis , ... - 08/Mar/1723 , 24/May/1723 , D/Y/A/5/87
- Morel : Magdelaine , ... - 25/Jan/1738 , 18/Feb/1755 , D/Y/A/9/4
- Morel : Thomas , of St Lawrence 31/08/1784 Bequeaths to the poor of St Lawrence, £10 tournois of the order of the King - Unknown date , 17/Sep/1814 , D/Y/A/18/122
- Morel : Thomas Ernest , of Bowness, Avenue du Petit Mont, St Helier - 19/Oct/1972 , 23/Aug/1976 , D/Y/B1/245/28
Morell
- Morell : Anne , ... - 31/Jan/1696 , 10/Feb/1699 , D/Y/A/2/84
- Morell : Eugene Marie , of Leoville, St Ouen - 09/Mar/1920 , 20/Dec/1955 , D/Y/B1/33/28
Burial records
Family album
Jean Morel, whose grandson gave Morel Farm to the National Trust for Jersey
This painting of an unidentified Mrs Morel is in the collection of the National Trust and was acquired from the estate of Miss May Le Marquand Morel, the last of the family to bear the name. The identify of the subject is not known, but she was undoubtedly a descendant of the Morel Farm family
Sir Thomas Morel, born in St Mary, Jersey, in 1847, was Mayor of Cardiff from 1898 to 1899. This portrait, which hangs in Cardiff's Mansion House, is by an unknown artist
Family businesses
1948
1955
Family gravestones
Almorah cemetery
Almorah cemetery
Les Quennevais cemetery
St Mary’s Church cemetery
St John’s Church cemetery
St Ouen parish cemetery
St Ouen parish cemetery
St Ouen parish cemetery
St Peter parish cemetery
St Matthew’s, St Lawrence
St Matthew’s, St Lawrence
St Matthew’s, St Lawrence
St Matthew’s, St Lawrence
St Matthew’s, St Lawrence
St Matthew’s, St Lawrence
St Lawrence
St Lawrence
St Lawrence
St Lawrence
The grave of Great War casualty Emile Henry Morel at Lijssenthoek Military Cemetery, Poperinge, Belgium
Tips
The church record links above will open in a new tab in your browser and generate the most up-to-date list of each set of records from our database. These lists replace earlier Family page baptism lists, which were not regularly updated. They have the added advantage that they produce a chronological listing for the family name in all parishes, so you do not have to search through A-Z indexes, parish by parish.
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New records
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