The following is edited from my father's book: A Branch Of The Sturgill Family, Volume I Decendants of Francis Sturgill Sr. & Rebecca Hash. Barring transcription errors, the wording is his - THS
In the Beginning
So far, the earliest records of our family found was the christianing of Richard Stodgell in the North Pemberton Parish of Somerset County, England in Oct 1579. He was the father of John Stogell who was christianed in the same Parish April 10, 1615. In 1650 John Stogell requested permission of the church to "go beyond the seas." Also in 1650 John Stogdell was one of ten men brought from Somerset Co. England to Essex Co. VA as "headrights" of James Hurd who was granted 1000a of Virginia land for paying for their transportation to America.
Under the headright plan the immigrant signed a contract of voluntary servitude to his benefactor which was usually for a period of seven years during which time the benefactor agreed to either teach him a trade or give him land at the end of the period. John Stogell first appeared on the tax records of Essec Co. in 1659 so it appears that he probably married and established his home at that time. The name with variant spellings appears in several different Virginia records in later records of Essex and Spottsylvania counties but as the immigrant John was born in 1615 records after 1690 were probably of his son John.
Many variants of the spelling of our surname have appeared in the records but by the time of the American revolution the ffamily had divided into the two main branches whoi since then have spelled the name either Stodghill or Sturgill. One small family line combined these two and spelled the name Sturghill. Regardless of how we spell our name we are all still cousins to some degree.
