Show ContentsHeatley History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Heatley is a name that first reached England following the Norman Conquest of 1066. The Heatley family lived in Heathley, Staffordshire.

Early Origins of the Heatley family

The surname Heatley was first found in Staffordshire where they held a family seat as Lords of the Manor of Heighley (pronounced Heathley or Heatly). At the taking of the Domesday Book in 1086 by Duke William of Normandy after his conquest of England at Hastings in 1066, this village was the King's land, but reconstructing the evidence, there remains the ruins of a 13th century castle at Heighley which was probably reduced by an angry King. We next see Sir Robert of Keatlie far to the north in the lands of Mellerston just over the border in Scotland. In 1296 his successor, Sir Alexander of Hateley, made his peace with King Edward 1st of England in his brief conquest of Scotland and declared his oath of allegiance and loyalty to him. Sir Alexander's seal is a boar's head which is consistent with the Coat of Arms for Heathley.

Early History of the Heatley family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Heatley research. Another 66 words (5 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Heatley History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Heatley Spelling Variations

It is only in the last few hundred years that the English language has been standardized. For that reason, Anglo-Norman surnames like Heatley are characterized by many spelling variations. Scribes and monks in the Middle Ages spelled names they sounded, so it is common to find several variations that refer to a single person. As the English language changed and incorporated elements of other European languages such as Norman French and Latin, even literate people regularly changed the spelling of their names. The variations of the name Heatley include Heathley, Heighley, Heatley, Heathly and others.

Early Notables of the Heatley family

More information is included under the topic Early Heatley Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Ireland Migration of the Heatley family to Ireland

Some of the Heatley family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 36 words (3 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.


United States Heatley migration to the United States +

Faced with the chaos present in England at that time, many English families looked towards the open frontiers of the New World with its opportunities to escape oppression and starvation. People migrated to North America, as well as Australia and Ireland in droves, paying exorbitant rates for passages in cramped, unsafe ships. Many of the settlers did not make the long passage alive, but those who did see the shores of North America were welcomed with great opportunity. Many of the families that came from England went on to make essential contributions to the emerging nations of Canada and the United States. Some of the first immigrants to cross the Atlantic and come to North America carried the name Heatley, or a variant listed above:

Heatley Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • John Heatley, aged 32, who landed in Kansas in 1837 1

Australia Heatley migration to Australia +

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

Heatley Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
  • Mr. Benjamin Heatley, English convict who was convicted in Chester, Cheshire, England for 14 years, transported aboard the "Canada" on 23rd April 1819, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 2
  • Mr. Peter Heatley, English convict who was convicted in Lancaster, Lancashire, England for life, transported aboard the "Blundell" on 13th March 1844, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 3
  • Mary Heatley, aged 21, a servant, who arrived in South Australia in 1855 aboard the ship "Mallard" 4

New Zealand Heatley 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:

Heatley Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century
  • George Heatley, aged 20, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Oxford" in 1874

Contemporary Notables of the name Heatley (post 1700) +

  • David Heatley (b. 1974), American cartoonist, illustrator, graphic designer and musician
  • Arthur Edward Heatley (1865-1941), English cricketer
  • Benjamin Basil Heatley (1933-2019), British silver medalist marathon runner at the 1964 Summer Olympics
  • Eddie Heatley, New Zealand rugby league player at the 1970 World Cup
  • William Clarence "Bill" Heatley (1920-1971), Australian politician, Senator for Queensland (1966-1968)
  • Spike Heatley (b. 1933), British jazz bassist
  • Jason Heatley (b. 1972), Australian rules footballer
  • Norman George Heatley (1911-2004), English member of the team of Oxford scientists who developed penicillin, his work went unrecognized for many years, yet in 1990 he was awarded an honorary Doctorate of Medicine from Oxford University, the first given to a non-medic
  • Phil Reeve Heatley (b. 1967), New Zealand politician, Minister of Fisheries (2008-2010), Minister of Fisheries and Aquaculture (2010-2011) and Minister of Housing (2008-2010)
  • Dany James Heatley (b. 1981), German-born, Canadian professional NHL hockey player
  • ... (Another 1 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

HMS Prince of Wales
  • Mr. William Heatley, British Able Seaman, who sailed into battle on the HMS Prince of Wales (1941) and survived the sinking 5


  1. 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)
  2. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 9th December 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/canada
  3. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 25th October 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/blundell
  4. South Australian Register Thursday 26th April 1855. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) Mallard 1855. Retrieved http://www.theshipslist.com/ships/australia/mallard1855.shtml
  5. HMS Prince of Wales Crew members. (Retrieved 2014, April 9) . Retrieved from http://www.forcez-survivors.org.uk/biographies/listprincecrew.html


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