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Barbara Balch in Canada wrote :- ln 1980 I published a book A DADSWELL FAMILY HISTORY AND GENEAL- OGY c 1560-1980 which was the result of 7: years of research and contains over 1400 descendants connected.
The name DADSWELL (DODSWELL) derives from the XanOT Or Village of DOWDESWELL in the Cotswolds, Gloucestershire. The earliest in- stance of the name that can be found is ~781 in Anglo-Saxon Chart- ei-s when Hedda, Abbot of Worcester Monastery, included in a grant of land, DOGODESWELLYN. The place is also mentioned in the Dooms- day Survey.
According to those who have made a study of names and place-names, the general meaning given of the name is “at Dogod’s well” as Dogod was a personage in early times. Another origin cited is the 1egend’Odo and Dodo were two monks who each dug a well and called the places after themselves : Ode’s Well (Owdeswell) and Dodo’s Well (Dowdeswell).
There are many early references to the name (variant spellings) but the earliest the Dadswell Family can go back to is ~1560.