Ladley History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

In ancient Anglo-Saxon England, the ancestors of the Ladley surname lived on a hill beside a babbling river which was later referred to as Ludlow Ladley is a topographic surname, which was given to a person who resided near a physical feature such as a hill, stream, church, or type of tree. Habitation names form the other broad category of surnames that were derived from place-names. They were derived from pre-existing names for towns, villages, parishes, or farmsteads. Other local names are derived from the names of houses, manors, estates, regions, and entire counties.

Early Origins of the Ladley family

The surname Ladley was first found in Shropshire at Ludlow, a market town close to the Welsh border and in the Welsh Marches. The first listing of the place name dates back to 1138 where it was listed as Ludelaue and literally meant "hill or tumulus by a rapid," derived from the Old English words hlude + hlaw. 1 Ludlow was called by the Britons Dinam, or "the palace of princes," and by the Saxons Leadlowe, and Ludlowe. One reference claims Robert de Montgomery, kinsman of the Conqueror, fortified the town with walls, and erected most of its stately castle in which he lived until his death in 1094. Yet another reference claims the castle was built by Walter de Lacy in the late 11th century as possession of Ludlow Castle descended through the Lacy family until 1115. Mother Ludlam's Cave or Mother Ludlum's Hole is a small cave in the sandstone cliff of the Wey Valley at Moor Park, near Farnham, Surrey. The earliest record of the place occurs when a monk named Symon found a spring rising in the cave in the 13th century. Mother Ludlam was claimed to be a white witch who lived in the cave. Her cauldron has been kept in Frensham Church nearby for centuries.

Early History of the Ladley family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Ladley research. Another 69 words (5 lines of text) covering the years 1551, 1588, 1590, 1617, 1634, 1664, 1680, 1692 and 1728 are included under the topic Early Ladley History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Ladley Spelling Variations

It is only in the last few hundred years that the English language has been standardized. For that reason, early Anglo-Saxon surnames like Ladley are characterized by many spelling variations. As the English language changed and incorporated elements of other European languages, even literate people changed the spelling of their names. The variations of the name Ladley include: Ludlow, Ludley, Ludloe and others.

Early Notables of the Ladley family

Notables of this surname at this time include: Roger Ludlow (1590-1664), an English lawyer, magistrate, military officer, and colonist who helped found the Colony of Connecticut, he directed Boston's first fortification, Castle William in 1634; Edmund Ludlow (Ludlowe) (c. 1617-1692), an English parliamentarian, best known for his involvement...
Another 47 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Ladley Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Ladley family to Ireland

Some of the Ladley family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 33 words (2 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Ladley migration to the United States +

Many English families tired of political and religious strife left Britain for the new colonies in North America. Although the trip itself offered no relief - conditions on the ships were extremely cramped, and many travelers arrived diseased, starving, and destitute - these immigrants believed the opportunities that awaited them were worth the risks. Once in the colonies, many of the families did indeed prosper and, in turn, made significant contributions to the culture and economies of the growing colonies. An inquiry into the early roots of North American families has revealed a number of immigrants bearing the name Ladley or a variant listed above:

Ladley Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Edward and Joseph Ladley, who settled in Philadelphia in 1838
George Henry Ladley, who landed in New York, NY in 1844 2

Ladley 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:

Ladley Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

James Ladley, aged 36, a carpenter, who arrived in Nelson, New Zealand aboard the ship "Martha Ridgway" in 1842
Sarah Ladley, aged 34, who arrived in Nelson, New Zealand aboard the ship "Martha Ridgway" in 1842
George Ladley, aged 1, who arrived in Nelson, New Zealand aboard the ship "Martha Ridgway" in 1842

Contemporary Notables of the name Ladley (post 1700) +

Matthew "Matt" Ladley (b. 1991), American gold medalist snowboarder in the superpipe at Winter X Games XX
Dave Ladley (b. 1975), English darts player

Citations +

Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
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)