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Hamley History Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables

Contemporary Notables Historic Events Related Stories Citations

Hamley History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

Early Origins of the Hamley family

The surname Hamley was first found in Cornwall where "Hambly is an old name of the 17th century in the parishes of St. Breward, Egloshayle, and Bodmin; in the last two localities it is still represented." 1 "Hamley and Hambly are fairly common surnames in Cornwall." 2

"Treblethick [in the parish of St. Mabyn, Cornwall] was the seat of the Hamleys, in which family it had been for many preceding generations. But not long afterwards it became the property of Treise, from whom it passed with other estates of this family on the death of Sir Christopher Treise." 3

The prevalence for Cornish roots is undeniable, but we will include another source's understanding of the name.

"The name, is apparently from Hamly Bridge in Chiddingly (Sussex), though the surname is now associated mainly with Devon and Cornwall. " 4

Other early records of the family include: Henry de Hambelegh, 1296 in Subsidy Rolls (Sussex); John de Hamelee, 1305 in London Letter Books; Osbert Hameley, 1361 in Feet of Fines (Wiltshire); John Hamely, 1399 in Feet of Fines (Northants, Surrey); Agnes Hamblie, 1554 in IGI (Saint Columb, Cornwall); and Diggory Hamley, 1718 in IGI (Stoke Damerel, Devon). 4

Early History of the Hamley family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Hamley research. Another 26 words (2 lines of text) covering the years 1637, 1717, 1760 and 1837 are included under the topic Early Hamley History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Hamley Spelling Variations

Cornish surnames are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. The frequent changes in surnames are due to the fact that the Old and Middle English languages lacked definite spelling rules. The official court languages, which were Latin and French, were also influential on the spelling of a surname. Since the spelling of surnames was rarely consistent in medieval times, and scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded rather than adhering to any specific spelling rules, it was common to find the same individual referred to with different spellings of their surname in the ancient chronicles. Moreover, a large number of foreign names were brought into England, which accelerated and accentuated the alterations to the spelling of various surnames. Lastly, spelling variations often resulted from the linguistic differences between the people of Cornwall and the rest of England. The Cornish spoke a unique Brythonic Celtic language which was first recorded in written documents during the 10th century. However, they became increasingly Anglicized, and Cornish became extinct as a spoken language in 1777, although it has been revived by Cornish patriots in the modern era. The name has been spelled Hambley, Hambly, Hamley, Hamby and others.

Early Notables of the Hamley family

Notable amongst the family at this time was

William Hamley, born in Bodmin, Cornwall, founder of what is today known as Hamleys, one of the largest toy stores in the world...
Ownership of the shop passed through the family, and by the time it was operated by Hamley's grandsons in 1837, the store had become famous, counting royalty and nobility among its customers...

Hamley migration to the United States +

In the immigration and passenger lists were a number of people bearing the name Hamley

Hamley Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

John Hamley, who arrived in Maryland in 1677 5

Hamley Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

James S Hamley, who landed in Allegany (Allegheny) County, Pennsylvania in 1866 5
G. Hamley, aged 10, who landed in America, in 1893

Hamley Settlers in United States in the 20th Century

Arthur Hamley, aged 30, who immigrated to the United States from Cornwall, in 1900
Mr. Arthur Hamley, (b. 1868), aged 32, Cornish miner travelling aboard the ship "St Paul" arriving at Ellis Island, New York on 10th March 1900 en route to Calumet, Michigan, USA 6
Mr. Arthur Hamley, (b. 1870), aged 30, Cornish miner travelling aboard the ship "New York" arriving at Ellis Island, New York on 4th March 1900 en route to New York, USA 6
William Hamley, aged 31, who landed in America, in 1905
Lillian Mary Hamley, aged 30, who landed in America from Plymouth, England, in 1909
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Hamley migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Hamley Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Mr. Thomas Hamley, (b. 1809), aged 30, Cornish labourer travelling aboard the ship "Lady Raffles" arriving in New South Wales, Australia on 13th September 1839 7
Mrs. Fanny Hamley, (b. 1806), aged 33, Cornish servant travelling aboard the ship "Lady Raffles" arriving in New South Wales, Australia on 13th September 1839 7
Miss Jane Hamley, (b. 1836), aged 3, Cornish settler travelling aboard the ship "Lady Raffles" arriving in New South Wales, Australia on 13th September 1839 7
Miss Anne Hamley, (b. 1838), aged 1, Cornish settler travelling aboard the ship "Lady Raffles" arriving in New South Wales, Australia on 13th September 1839 7
James Hamley, who arrived in Holdfast Bay, Australia aboard the ship "Brightman" in 1840 8
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Hamley migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Hamley Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

William Hamley, aged 31, who arrived in Lyttelton, New Zealand aboard the ship "Accrington" in 1863 9
Sarah Hamley, aged 27, who arrived in Lyttelton, New Zealand aboard the ship "Accrington" in 1863 9
Anna M. Hamley, aged 7 months, who arrived in Lyttelton, New Zealand aboard the ship "Accrington" in 1863 9
Miss Anna M. Hamley, (b. 1862), aged 7 months, Cornish settler departing on 18th June 1863 aboard the ship "Accrington" arriving in Lyttelton, Canterbury, New Zealand on 5th September 1863 10
Mrs. Sarah Hamley, (b. 1836), aged 27, Cornish settler departing on 18th June 1863 aboard the ship "Accrington" arriving in Lyttelton, Canterbury, New Zealand on 5th September 1863 10
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Hamley (post 1700) +

Major-General Francis Gilbert Hamley (1815-1876), British Army officer, Acting Governor of South Australia, (1868-1869), eponym or the County of Hamley and Hamley Bridge, South Australia
Robert "Bob" Hamley, American head coach of the Colorado Mammoth of the National Lacrosse League
Edward Hamley (1764-1834), English clergyman and poet
William Hamley, founder of Hamleys, one of the largest toy stores in the world
Lieutenant-General Sir Edward Bruce Hamley KCB, KCMG (1824-1893), British general and military writer

Historic Events for the Hamley family +

HMS Repulse

Mr. Arthur John Wosley Hamley B.E.M. (b. 1899), English Chief Engine Artificer from Devonport, England, who sailed into battle on the HMS Repulse (1941) and died in the sinking 11

Citations +

Guppy, Henry Brougham, Homes of Family Names in Great Britain. 1890. Print.
Harrison, Henry, Surnames of the United Kingdom: A Concise Etymological Dictionary Baltimore: Geneological Publishing Company, 2013. Print
Hutchins, Fortescue, The History of Cornwall, from the Earliest Records and Traditions to the Present Time. London: William Penaluna, 1824. Print
Hanks, Patricia and Flavia Hodges, A Dictionary of Surnames. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1988. Print. (ISBN 0-19-211592-8)
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)
Cornwall Online Parish Clerks. (Retrieved 3rd May 2018). Retrieved from http://www.opc-cornwall.org/Resc/pdfs/emigration_ellis_island_1892_on.pdf
Cornwall Online Parish Clerks. (Retrieved 2018, May 30). Ships' Passenger Lists of Arrivals in New South Wales on (1828 - 1842, 1848 - 1849) [PDF]. Retrieved from http://www.opc-cornwall.org/Resc/pdfs/emigration_nsw_1838_on.pdf
State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) BRIGHTMAN 1840. Retrieved from http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1840Brightman.htm
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 17th October 2018). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
Cornwall Online Parish Clerks. (Retrieved 2018, April 30). Emigrants to Lyttelton 1858-84 [PDF]. Retrieved from http://www.opc-cornwall.org/Resc/pdfs/new_zealand_assisted.pdf
HMS Repulse Crew members. (Retrieved 2014, April 9) . Retrieved from http://www.forcez-survivors.org.uk/biographies/listrepulsecrew.html