Contents [hide]

Smale History Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables

United States Australia New Zealand West Indies

Contemporary Notables Historic Events Related Stories Citations

Smale History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

The name Smale was derived from the Old English word "smael" and the Middle English word "smel" which both mean "small, slender, thin" 1

Early Origins of the Smale family

The surname Smale was first found in Derbyshire at Smalley, a chapelry, in the parish of Morley, union of Belper, hundred of Morleston and Litchurch. 2

However, early records of the name are scattered throughout England: William Smale was listed in the Subsidy Rolls of Worcester in 1275; Alexander le Smele was listed in the Assize Rolls of 1221; and William le Smale was listed in 1294. 1

The Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 list the following entries: Robert le Small in Huntingdon; and Henry Smale in Cambridgeshire. Later Willelmus Smale was listed in the Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379, and in 1468, Thomas Smale was listed as rector of Lerling in Norfolk. 3

We would be remiss if we didn't mention the Scottish connection to the name. "A deed of 1283 runs in the name of 'Oliverus et Ricardus Smally prepositi et ceteri prepositi ac cives Glasguenses congregati in placitis burgi que tenebantur apud Glasgu.' " 4 At about the same time, Ricardus Smaley witnessed a sale of land in Glasgow, c. 1280-1290.

Early History of the Smale family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Smale research. Another 96 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1438, 1440, 1458, 1530, 1577, 1578, 1596, 1615 and 1665 are included under the topic Early Smale History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Smale Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Smale, Smail, Smalley, Smaley and others.

Early Notables of the Smale family

Another 35 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Smale Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Smale migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Smale Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Hugo Smale, who landed in Virginia in 1622 5
John Smale, who landed in New England in 1635 aboard the ship "James" 5
Mary Smale, who arrived in Maryland in 1674 5
Edward Smale, who landed in Maryland in 1679 5
Zackeriah Smale, aged 21, who landed in Carolina in 1683 5

Smale Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Mr. Samuel Smale, (b. 1810), aged 30, Cornish shoe maker departing from Bristol aboard the ship "Druid" arriving in Ohio, USA on 29 June 1840 6
Mrs. Susan Smale, (b. 1813), aged 27, Cornish shoe maker departing from Bristol aboard the ship "Druid" arriving in Ohio, USA on 29 June 1840 6
Henry Smale, who arrived in New York, NY in 1846 5

Smale migration to Australia +

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

Smale Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Mr. John Smale, English convict who was convicted in London, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Cressy" on 28th April 1843, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 7

Smale 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:

Smale Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

W Smale, who landed in Bay of Islands, New Zealand in 1838
David George Smale, who landed in Auckland, New Zealand in 1843
Mr. G.B. Smale, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Matoaka" arriving in Auckland, New Zealand on 26th September 1859 8
Mrs. Ann Smale, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Matoaka" arriving in Auckland, New Zealand on 26th September 1859 8
Miss Louisa Smale, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Matoaka" arriving in Auckland, New Zealand on 26th September 1859 8
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Smale migration to West Indies +

The British first settled the British West Indies around 1604. They made many attempts but failed in some to establish settlements on the Islands including Saint Lucia and Grenada. By 1627 they had managed to establish settlements on St. Kitts (St. Christopher) and Barbados, but by 1641 the Spanish had moved in and destroyed some of these including those at Providence Island. The British continued to expand the settlements including setting the First Federation in the British West Indies by 1674; some of the islands include Barbados, Bermuda, Cayman Island, Turks and Caicos, Jamaica and Belize then known as British Honduras. By the 1960's many of the islands became independent after the West Indies Federation which existed from 1958 to 1962 failed due to internal political conflicts. After this a number of Eastern Caribbean islands formed a free association. 9

Smale Settlers in West Indies in the 17th Century

Geoffrey Smale, who settled in Barbados in 1654

Contemporary Notables of the name Smale (post 1700) +

William A. Smale, American politician, U.S. Vice Consul in Nassau, 1926; Montreal, 1927; U.S. Consul in Montreal, 1929; Ensenada, 1932-38; Belfast, 1948-49 10
Hugh Smale (1922-1994), American Democratic Party politician, Member of Michigan State House of Representatives from Wayne County 12th District, 1959-62; Defeated in primary, 1962, 1964 10
Steven Smale (b. 1930), American mathematician awarded the Fields Medal in 1966 and the Wolf Prize in 2006/07
Ken Smale (b. 1933), former Australian rules footballer
Alison Smale, British journalist and Executive Editor of the International Herald Tribune

Historic Events for the Smale family +

HMS Prince of Wales

Mr. S. Smale, British Stoker, who sailed into battle on the HMS Prince of Wales (1941) and survived the sinking 11

HMS Repulse

Mr. Samuel Smale, British Mechanician, who sailed into battle on the HMS Repulse (1941) and survived the sinking 12

Senghenydd colliery

Mr. George Smale (b. 1890), Welsh coal miner from Abertridwr, Caerphilly, Wales who was working at the Senghenydd colliery when there was an explosion on the 14th October 1913; he died

Citations +

Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, 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)
Black, George F., The Surnames of Scotland Their Origin, Meaning and History. New York: New York Public Library, 1946. Print. (ISBN 0-87104-172-3)
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 2018, April 30). Emigrants to New York 1820 - 1891 [PDF]. Retrieved from http://www.opc-cornwall.org/Resc/pdfs/emigration_new_york_1820_1891.pdf
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 21st May 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/cressy
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 17th October 2018). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_West_Indies
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, November 3) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
HMS Prince of Wales Crew members. (Retrieved 2014, April 9) . Retrieved from http://www.forcez-survivors.org.uk/biographies/listprincecrew.html
HMS Repulse Crew members. (Retrieved 2014, April 9) . Retrieved from http://www.forcez-survivors.org.uk/biographies/listrepulsecrew.html