The surname Gastley was first found in Westmorland where they held a family seat as Lords of the Manor. The Saxon influence of English history diminished after the Battle of Hastings in 1066. The language of the courts was French for the next three centuries and the Norman ambience prevailed. But Saxon surnames survived and the family name was first referenced in the year 1306 when Sir George de Castello (Georgius du Chastel) was knighted by King Edward 1st, on the occasion of the knighting of his son, Prince Edward.
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Early History of the Gastley family
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Gastley research. Another 104 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1455, 1487, 1667 and 1683 are included under the topic Early Gastley History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
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Gastley Spelling Variations
Until the dictionary, an invention of only the last few hundred years, the English language lacked any comprehensive system of spelling rules. Consequently, spelling variations in names are frequently found in early Anglo-Saxon and later Anglo-Norman documents. One person's name was often spelled several different ways over a lifetime. The recorded variations of Gastley include Castlehow, Castlehowe, Castello, Castelly, Castley, Castlo, Cassler, Castlehough and many more.
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Early Notables of the Gastley family
More information is included under the topic Early Gastley Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
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Migration of the Gastley family
Thousands of English families boarded ships sailing to the New World in the hope of escaping the unrest found in England at this time. Although the search for opportunity and freedom from persecution abroad took the lives of many because of the cramped conditions and unsanitary nature of the vessels, the opportunity perceived in the growing colonies of North America beckoned. Many of the settlers who survived the journey went on to make important contributions to the transplanted cultures of their adopted countries. The Gastley were among these contributors, for they have been located in early North American records: the name represented in many forms and recorded from the mid 17th century in the great migration from Europe. Migrants settled in the eastern seaboard from Newfoundland, to Maine, to Virginia, the Carolinas, and to the islands..
England
