There have been known at least 15-18 spellings of the name Estell. Some of these are Estelle, Estell, Estle, and Estill.
Jean Andrea d'Estell was a nobleman who married Jeanetta Pasteri, a noble lady, was married in Province France, on December 12, 1525. This marriage was by civil contract, that was attested by a notary and not by a Priest. This shows that the d'Estelle family was Protestants, later to be known as Hugenots.
Many explanations of the name occur. One of the best explanations is the Protestants of the area Tours and was forced to meet at night in order to avoid being arrested. A monk in a sermon declared that Lutherans were to be called Hugenots, since they were kinement to King Hugo. The King would onlly go out at night like his followers. Therefore the name Hugonauts came about. This name became popular from 1560 onwards.
A descendant of John Andre and Jeanette d'Estell, named Balthazaar fled France with the family to the Netherlands. This occurred after the Massacre of St. Bartholomew in 1572. The family then moved to England. It has been recorded at Sturys in Neeland, in the year 1625, shows Balthazaar d'Estell as a godfather at a baptism.
There was an Estell that was born in Ireland in 1623. That family later moved to England during the reign of Cromwell. There were twelve families that migrated to America, to escape religious persecution. These families settled in the American colony of New Jersey.
This Estell is said to have married a Miss Wallace, and he can be identified as Thomas Estelle. His wife was a descendant of William Wallace from Scotland. This family landed at Neversink Highlands in New Jersey, in 1664 with two brothers Daniel and William d'Estelle.
The three brothers that settled in Middletown and Shrewsbury, which is now in Monmouth County, New Jersey. These were settled on grants of land that were issued by the Governor of New York, Richard Nichols.
On the day of the landing, the wife of William gave birth to a son. This son was to be the first white child born in New Jersey.
Daniel d'Estell is listed as an original settler of Middletown, New Jersey, in 1667. He was given Lot 32. This was 120 acres.
Daniel d'Estell married Margaret Browning (Breuning) at Gravesend Lond Island in July 1666. The children of this marriage are supposed to be William, Daniel and Thomas.
There was a Thomas, who signed a remonstrance along with others in 1700 that were asking for a competent Covernor of the Colony. There is also a record that a Thomas d'Estell was indicted during political troubles in 1700.
Thomas d'Estell, the brother of William and Daniel married a Miss Wallace, in 1670, and had a son named John. This John d'Estell was the father of Wallace Estill.
Wallace Estill was born in New Jersey in 1702. His first wife died after being married only three months. He then remarried to a Frence lady named Mary Boude.
There was a great Scotch - Irish migration from New Jersey to the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia, in 1746. I can not find any record of a Thomas Estell moving from New Jersey to Virginia. I do find a record of Thomas Estell marrying a Rachel Roswell in Albermarle County Virginia.
The reason that I am including the above history, is to give a background on the istory of the Estell family. It seems that there was a late migration of people from New Jersey to Virginia. It also seems as if the Estell family settled in different parts of Virginia.
Thomas Estell's family moved from Albermarle County Virginia, to Scott County Kentucky. Scott County was originally part of Virginia.
The above information was taken from Genealogies of Kentucky Families. Published by Genealogical Publishing Company Inc. of Baltimore in 1981.