From THE SURNAMES OF SUSSEX
From the late 13th century members of the Scardeville family in Sussex were landowners at Lavant, where they were holding land in the 17th century. In the 15th century the family also held land by knight service at Singleton, which adjoins Lavant, and early in the same century William Scardevyle inherited from his mother some land at Broadbridge, near Bosham. Land in Bosham was still held by one of the family in 1700.
Some branches of the family were landowners on a moderate scale during the 13th, 14th and 15th centuries, but already in the late 13th and early 14th centuries there were de Scardevilles holding land in the Selsey area who seem to have been no more than free tenants with limited possessions.
In the 16th century the surname still existed in the part of Sussex where it had been present since before 1300. In the subsidy of 1524 - 25, there are eight taxpayers named Scardevile (or Skardvile, etc.) listed at East Lavant; several others are listed at nearby places, such as Funtington and East and West Ashling.
In the subsidy the surname is confined to the south-west part of West Sussex, where it is first found in the 13th century. Other 16th century sources show the surname still surviving in the same area, but not elsewhere in Sussex. The surname dispersed somewhat during the 17th century, when it appears in the north of West Sussex, at Kirdford and further east than earlier in the southern part of West Sussex, at Poling, Ferring, Angmering and Lyminster, all places close together.
The West Sussex Protestation Returns list 18 persons named Scardevile, etc., which was probably the whole number of adult males with the name in West Sussex at that time. No evidence has been found for the name in East Sussex before 1700.
Until after 1500 the surname usually appears as Scardevile or Skardevile. Forms such as Skardefeld, and Skarvile appear during the 16th century, but forms such as Scardevile continued to be used all through the 16th and 17th centuries, besides forms such as Scardefield.
The form Scardefield was in Sussex at the present day, though no longer limited to any one part of the county. The usual forms today are Scarfield and Scardifield. There seems no serious doubt that all the persons who appear in Sussex named Scarville, de Scardevile, Scarfield etc., share a common descent, and are all descended from the 13th century landed family.
