Contents [hide]

Tilley History Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables Ranking

Ireland United States Canada Australia New Zealand

Contemporary Notables Historic Events Related Stories Suggested Reading Citations

Tilley History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

Tilley is one of the many new names that came to England following the Norman Conquest of 1066. The Tilley family lived in Dorset. Their name, however, is a reference to Tilley, Normandy, the family's place of residence prior to the Norman Conquest of England in 1066. While many of the family went to England, some remained in Normandy. One of the oldest records of the name found there was Haymon de Tellia listed in Normandy in 960. "Robert de Tilly, and the Castle and Barony of Tilly, Normandy" 1 was listed in a roll dated 1180-95.

"This family, one of the most illustrious in Normandy took their name from the castle and barony of Tilly, near Caen, of which they were Castellans. Henry de Tilly held the castle in 1165, Ralph de Tilly held lands in Devon 2; and his descendants continued there till the time of Richard Coeur de Lion, when they were seated at Woonford (Wonford, Devon)." 3

Early Origins of the Tilley family

The surname Tilley was first found in Dorset where they held a family seat at Mersewood, where Henry Tilley from Tilley near Caen in Calvados acquired the confiscated estates of Geoffrey de Mandevill in 1083. The Domesday Book of 1086 lists Ralph de Tilly as holding lands in Devon in 1083. 2

"In the beginning of the same reign Henry de Tilly, of West-Harptree-Tilly, in Somersetshire, paid £14 15s. as scutage for the King's ransom. His descendants had several other possessions in the county: the last of them mentioned by Collinson is Lionel Tilly, Lord of Salthay, 13 Henry VI. In the time of Stephen the greater part of the confiscated barony of Geoffrey de Mandeville had been granted to De Tilly. Mersewood in Dorset was its caput baroniae. But, after a suit pursued by three successive generations, Robert de Mandeville recovered it from Henry de Tilly in the beginning of King John's reign." 3

"In South Yorkshire we find 'the family bearing the hereditary name of Tilly enjoying great interests in the dark days before the reign of Henry III.'" Hunter.

"Otho de Tilly was the Seneschal or Steward of Coningsburgh Castle under Hameline Earl Warren during the reigns of Stephen and Henry II.; and erected a cross on the market place at Doncaster, of which the remains (now removed to Hobcross Hill, a little south of the town), are still preserved." 3

"The manor of West-Draynes [in Cornwall] formerly belonged to the family of Carew. It afterwards passed to that of Tillie, and it is now the property of J. Tillie Coryton, Esq." 4

Early History of the Tilley family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Tilley research. Another 136 words (10 lines of text) covering the years 1314, 1316, 1322, 1324, 1325, 1457, 1458, 1494, 1571, 1588, 1620, 1712 and 1734 are included under the topic Early Tilley History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Tilley Spelling Variations

Anglo-Norman names tend to be marked by an enormous number of spelling variations. This is largely due to the fact that Old and Middle English lacked any spelling rules when Norman French was introduced in the 11th century. The languages of the English courts at that time were French and Latin. These various languages mixed quite freely in the evolving social milieu. The final element of this mix is that medieval scribes spelled words according to their sounds rather than any definite rules, so a name was often spelled in as many different ways as the number of documents it appeared in. The name was spelled Tilley, Tiley and others.

Early Notables of the Tilley family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was

John Tilley (1571-1620), was one of the settlers who traveled from England to North America on the Mayflower and signed the Mayflower Compact. He died shortly after his arrival

Tilley Ranking

In the United States, the name Tilley is the 1,955^th most popular surname with an estimated 14,922 people with that name. 5 However, in Newfoundland, Canada, the name Tilley is ranked the 128^th most popular surname with an estimated 285 people with that name. 6

Migration of the Tilley family to Ireland

Some of the Tilley 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.

Tilley migration to the United States +

Because of the political and religious discontent in England, families began to migrate abroad in enormous numbers. Faced with persecution and starvation at home, the open frontiers and generally less oppressive social environment of the New World seemed tantalizing indeed to many English people. The trip was difficult, and not all made it unscathed, but many of those who did get to Canada and the United States made important contributions to the young nations in which they settled. Some of the first North American settlers with Tilley name or one of its variants:

Tilley Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Mrs. Agnes Tilley, (nee Cooper, aka Ann), (1585-1621), who arrived in Plymouth, Massachusetts in 1620 aboard the ship "Mayflower", with husband Edward 7
Edward Tilley, (1588-1621), who arrived aboard the "Mayflower" in Plymouth in 1620 7
Miss Elizabeth Tilley, (1607-1687), who arrived in Massachusetts in 1620 aboard the ship "Mayflower" 7
John Tilley (1571-1621), who arrived in Plymouth, Massachusetts in 1620 aboard the ship "Mayflower" 7
Mrs. Joan Tilley, (nee Hurst), (c. 1567-1621), who landed in Plymouth, Massachusetts in 1620 aboard the ship "Mayflower" 7
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Tilley Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

John Tilley, who arrived in Boston in 1716 with eight servants

Tilley Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Alexander Tilley, who landed in New York in 1835 7
Benjamin Tilley, who arrived in San Francisco, California in 1849 7

Tilley migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Tilley Settlers in Canada in the 17th Century

William Tilley, who settled in Bona Vista, Newfoundland in 1665 8

Tilley Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century

Thomas Tilley was married in St. John's, Newfoundland in 1784 8
Mr. James Tilley U.E. who settled in Saint John, New Brunswick c. 1784 9
Mr. Samuel Tilley U.E. who settled in Canada c. 1784 9
Mr. Samuel Tilley U.E. born in Brooklyn, New York, USA who settled in Saint John, New Brunswick c. 1784 he became a Freeman in 1785 was a Joiner 9

Tilley Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century

William Tilley, who arrived in Canada in 1832
Robert Tilley, who settled in Bird Island Cove, Newfoundland about 1853 8

Tilley migration to Australia +

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

Tilley Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Mr. Charles Tilley, English convict who was convicted in Middlesex, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Baring" in April 1815, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 10
Mr. Edward Tilley, (b. 1792), aged 32, English convict who was convicted in Sussex, England for 7 years for poaching, transported aboard the "Chapman" on 6th April 1824, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land), he died in 1831 11
Mr. John Tilley, (b. 1785), aged 39, English convict who was convicted in Sussex, England for 7 years for poaching, transported aboard the "Chapman" on 6th April 1824, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land), he died in 1855 11
Mr. Charles Tilley, (b. 1808), aged 19, English convict who was convicted in London, England for 7 years for stealing, transported aboard the "Florentia" on 14th August 1827, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 12
Mr. William Tilley, (b. 1817), aged 20, English convict who was convicted in Somerset, England for life for stealing, transported aboard the "Emma Eugenia" on 2nd November 1837, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 13
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Tilley 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:

Tilley Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Samuel Tilley, aged 30, a farmer, who arrived in Nelson, New Zealand aboard the ship "London" in 1842
Mary Ann Tilley, aged 28, who arrived in Nelson, New Zealand aboard the ship "London" in 1842
Jonathon Tilley, aged 29, a shoemaker, who arrived in Nelson, New Zealand aboard the ship "Olympus" in 1842
Mary Tilley, aged 34, who arrived in Nelson, New Zealand aboard the ship "Olympus" in 1842
William Tilley, aged 5, who arrived in Nelson, New Zealand aboard the ship "Olympus" in 1842
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Tilley (post 1700) +

John Tilley, English inventor of the hydro-pneumatic blowpipe in 1813 in England which later evolved to the Tilley lamp, used by the British armed forces during World War II, which was so popular that it became the generic name for kerosene lamp in many parts of the world
Steven Tilley (b. 1971), American politician, former Speaker of the Missouri House of Representatives
Colin Tilley (b. 1988), American award winning music video director who has worked with Chris Brown, Justin Bieber, Justin Timberlake, Nicki Minaj, 50 Cent, Lil Wayne and many more
Sandra Tilley (1945-1981), American R&B and soul singer
John A. Tilley, American fighter pilot and flying ace in the U.S. Army Air Forces, during World War II, credited with 5 aerial victories
Katie Tilley, American Democratic Party politician, Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Minnesota, 2004 14
John Tilley, American politician, Member of New York State Assembly from Rensselaer County, 1841 14
Henry W. Tilley, American Democratic Party politician, Postmaster at Georgetown, District of Columbia, 1840-61 14
H. G. Tilley, American politician, Member of North Carolina State House of Representatives from Granville County, 1887-90 14
Frank Tilley, American Republican politician, Candidate for U.S. Representative from Indiana 5th District, 1910 14
... (Another 21 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Historic Events for the Tilley family +

HMS Royal Oak

R. Tilley, British Leading Seaman with the Royal Navy aboard the HMS Royal Oak (1939) when she was torpedoed by U-47 and sunk; he survived the sinking 15

Citations +

The Norman People and Their Existing Descendants in the British Dominions and the United States Of America. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing, 1975. Print. (ISBN 0-8063-0636-X)
Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
Cleveland, Dutchess of The Battle Abbey Roll with some Account of the Norman Lineages. London: John Murray, Abermarle Street, 1889. Print. Volume 3 of 3
Hutchins, Fortescue, The History of Cornwall, from the Earliest Records and Traditions to the Present Time. London: William Penaluna, 1824. Print
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
The order of Common Surnames in 1955 in Newfoundland retrieved on 20th October 2021 (retrieved from Family Names of the Island of Newfoundland by E.R. Seary corrected edition ISBN 0-7735-1782-0)
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)
Seary E.R., Family Names of the Island of Newfoundland, Montreal: McGill's-Queen's Universtity Press 1998 ISBN 0-7735-1782-0
Rubincam, Milton. The Old United Empire Loyalists List. Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc, 1976. (Originally published as; United Empire Loyalists. The Centennial of the Settlement of Upper Canada. Rose Publishing Company, 1885.) ISBN 0-8063-0331-X
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 16th September 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/baring
Convict Records of Australia. Retreived 26th January 2021 from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/chapman
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 5th October 2022). https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/florentia
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 29th March 2022). https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/emma-eugenia
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, December 1) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
Ships hit by U-boats crew list HMS Royal Oak (08) - (Retrieved 2018 February, 9th) - retrieved from https://uboat.net/allies/merchants/crews/ship68.html