Caverly History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

Caverly is one of the names that was brought to England in the wave of migration following the Norman Conquest of 1066. The Caverly family lived in Yorkshire, where they held a family seat on lands in the lordship of Calverley.

Early Origins of the Caverly family

The surname Caverly was first found in the West Riding of Yorkshire at Calverley, a parish, in the union of Bradford, wapentake of Morley. 1

Today Calverley is a village in the City of Leeds metropolitan borough in West Yorkshire but the place name actually dates back to the Domesday Book of 1086 where it was first listed as Caverleia 2 and literally meant " clearing where calves are pastured," from the Old English words "calf" + "leah." 3

Nearby is Calverley Old Hall, a medieval manor house which is believed to have been built (1485-1495) by the Calverleys. Today the property is held by the Landmark Trust. Baron Calverley is a recent barony created in 1945 for George Muff, the Labour politician. Calverleigh is a village, parish and former manor in Devon that also dates back to the Domesday Book where it was listed as Calodelie and later as Calewudelega in 1194. 3 However, this later village was held by the Nagle family for many years.

Of note, was Sir Hugh Calveley (d. 1393), a distinguished soldier, "the son of David de Calvelegh, and his first wife Joan, of Lea in Cheshire, and was the brother, it is thought, of Sir Robert Knolles. Calveley was one of the soldiers of fortune engaged in the war of succession between the partisans of the widow of Jean de Montfort and the wife of Charles de Blois, which lasted with varying fortune from 1341 to 1364. He was buried in the chancel of his college, and his effigy in complete armour may still be seen on one of the finest altar-tombs in his native county. It is engraved in Lysons and in Ormerod. A tablet is suspended against the north wall, opposite to the monument of Calveley, recording a bequest by Dame Mary Calveley of 100l., the interest to be given to poor people frequenting the church on the condition of their cleaning the monument and chancel." 4

Early History of the Caverly family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Caverly research. Another 203 words (14 lines of text) covering the years 1136, 1394, 1605, 1607, 1608, 1658, 1670, 1700 and 1749 are included under the topic Early Caverly History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Caverly Spelling Variations

Before the advent of the printing press and the first dictionaries, the English language was not standardized. Sound was what guided spelling in the Middle Ages, so one person's name was often recorded under several variations during a single lifetime. Spelling variations were common, even among the names of the most literate people. Known variations of the Caverly family name include Calverley, Calveley, Calverlie, Calverly and others.

Early Notables of the Caverly family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was Sir Hugh Calveley (died 1394), an English knight and commander, who took part in the Hundred Years' War; his effigy lies at St Boniface's Church, Bunbury, Cheshire; Sir Walter Calverley (1670-1749), 1st Baronet of Calverley in the County of York; and Sir John Calverley, Lord of Calverley.On the more infamous side, Walter Calverley (died 1605), grandson Sir Walter Calverley was an English squire and murderer. His notoriety came not from the murders but from the literary works that arose from his acts including: A Yorkshire...
Another 92 words (7 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Caverly Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Caverly Ranking

In the United States, the name Caverly is the 18,774^th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 5

Caverly migration to the United States +

To escape the political and religious chaos of this era, thousands of English families began to migrate to the New World in search of land and freedom from religious and political persecution. The passage was expensive and the ships were dark, crowded, and unsafe; however, those who made the voyage safely were encountered opportunities that were not available to them in their homeland. Many of the families that reached the New World at this time went on to make important contributions to the emerging nations of the United States and Canada. Research into various historical records has revealed some of first members of the Caverly family to immigrate North America:

Caverly Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

J B Caverly, who arrived in San Francisco, California in 1851 6

Caverly migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Caverly Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century

Anthony Caverly, who landed in Nova Scotia in 1750
Mr. Joseph Caverly, "Caverley" U.E. who settled in Canada c. 1783 7

Contemporary Notables of the name Caverly (post 1700) +

Kristen Joanne Caverly (b. 1984), American silver medalist competitive swimmer at the 2003 Pan American Games

The Caverly Motto +

The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.

Motto: Ex caligine veritas
Motto Translation: Truth out of darkness.

Citations +

Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
Rubincam, Milton. The Old United Empire Loyalists List. Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc, 1976. (Originally published as; United Empire Loyalists. The Centennial of the Settlement of Upper Canada. Rose Publishing Company, 1885.) ISBN 0-8063-0331-X