This interesting surname is of Old French origin, introduced into England after the Norman Conquest of 1066, and is an occupational name for a spinner or maker of spindles. The derivation of the name is from the Old French "fusel", spindle, from the Late Latin "fusellus", a diminutive of the classical Latin "fusus". A spindle is a rod or stick that has a notch in the top, used to draw out natural fibres for spinning into thread, and a long narrow body around which the thread is would when spun. Job-descriptive surnames originally denoted the actual occupation of the namebearer, and later became hereditary. The surname is mainly found in the Bristol area and can be found as Fussel, Fussill and Fussell. Recordings of the surname from English Church Registers include: the marriage of Elizabeth Fussell and Robert Field on October 22nd 1605, at the Church of St. Martin's, Saliusbury, Wiltshire; the christening of Deverris, son of Henery Fussell, on May 17th 1629, at Charlton Kings, Gloucestershire; and the christening of John, son of Nicholas and Judith Fussel, which took place at the Church of St. Gregory by St. Paul, on February 12th 1635. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of Agnes Fussell, which was dated November 8th 1568, marriage to John Pewley, at Bruton, Somerset, during the reign of Queen Elizabeth 1, known as "Good Queen Bess", 1558 - 1603. Surnames became necessary when governments introduced personal taxation. In England this was known as Poll Tax. Throughout the centuries, surnames in every country have continued to "develop" often leading to astonishing variants of the original spelling.

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