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Slee History Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables

Contemporary Notables Related Stories Citations

Slee History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

Early Origins of the Slee family

The surname Slee was first found in Essex, where Walter Sleh was listed in the Feet of Fines in 1219. Thomas Sleh, Slei, Slegh was listed in the Assize Rolls of Lincolnshire in 1219 and Robert Sley was listed in the Assize Rolls of Warwickshire in 1221. 1

The "epithet sly did not primarily imply anything dishonourable; though like 'crafty' and 'cunning' it has since come to be taken in a bad sense. The Slys or Sleighs were skilful men - cunning of hand. We are informed that Sly was anciently a common name in Shakespeare's own town. " 2 The Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 include: Ralph Sly in Hertfordshire; John Sley in Cambridgeshire; and John le Slege in Oxfordshire. 3

The hamlet of Ash in Derbyshire was an ancient family seat at one time. "The place was the property of the Sleigh family, from whom it came to the Chethams, and subsequently to the Cottons." 4

Early History of the Slee family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Slee research. Another 153 words (11 lines of text) covering the years 1271, 1275, 1317, 1574, 1674, 1679 and 1756 are included under the topic Early Slee History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Slee Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Sleigh, Sleach, Sleich, Sleech, Sliach, Sleath, Sleith, Sleth, Sleight, Sley, Slie and many more.

Early Notables of the Slee family

Distinguished members of the family include

Stephen Sleech, Chaplain to King George II

Migration of the Slee family to Ireland

Some of the Slee family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt. More information about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Slee migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Slee Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Francis Slee, who arrived in Virginia in 1642 5

Slee Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Samuel Slee, who arrived in New York in 1801 5

Slee migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Slee Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century

John Slee, aged 22, who landed in Fort Cumberland, Nova Scotia in 1774

Slee migration to Australia +

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

Slee Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Edwin Slee, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Glenalvon" in 1838 6
John Slee, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Florentia" in 1849 7
John Slee, aged 22, a farmer, who arrived in South Australia in 1849 aboard the ship "Florentia" 7
Mr. Samuel Slee, (b. 1811), aged 40, English boot maker who was convicted in Exeter, Devon, England for 10 years for theft, transported aboard the "Cornwall" on 28th February 1851, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land), he died in 1868 8
Richard Slee, aged 29, who arrived in South Australia in 1853 aboard the ship "Ramillies" 9
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Slee (post 1700) +

The Very Rev Colin Slee (1945-2010), English clergyman in the Church of England, Dean of Southwark Cathedral (1994-2010), a close friend of Desmond Tutu and Rowan Williams
Lancelot "Lanty" Slee (1802-1878), English Lake District farmer, quarryman and notorious smuggler
John Slee, English mathematical master at Mungrisedale, Cumberland who taught John Gough
David Carl Slee (b. 1947), former Welsh footballer who played for Swansea Town (1967-1971)
Michael John "Mike" Slee (b. 1959), British television documentary producer/director, film-maker and writer, known for his work on Bugs! (2003), Connections 2 (1994) and The Great Martian War 1913-1917 (2013)
Richard Slee (1946-1992), British ceramic artist and professor of ceramics at Camberwell College of Arts (1992-)
William Henry John "W.H.J." Slee FGS (1836-1907), Australian geologist, mines inspector, mining warden, 1st Chief Inspector of Mines, NSW
Richard Thilthorpe Slee (1879-1935), Australian mining engineer, mine manager and general manager, inducted into the Australian Prospectors and Miners Hall of Fame in 2007
Michael John Slee (b. 1959), British television documentary producer and director

Citations +

Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
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)
State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) EDEN 1838. Retrieved from http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1838Glenalvon.gif
State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) FLORENTIA 1849. Retrieved from http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1849Florentia.htm
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 11th March 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/cornwall
South Australian Register Tuesday 11 January 1853. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) RAMILLIES 1853. Retrieved http://www.theshipslist.com/ships/australia/ramillies1853.shtml