Wagley History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

The Norman Conquest of England in 1066 brought much change to the island nation, including many immigrants with new names. Among these immigrants were the ancestors of the Wagley family, who lived in Hertfordshire, at the manor of Wakely.

Early Origins of the Wagley family

The surname Wagley was first found in Hertfordshire where they held a family seat from very ancient times, conjecturally the family were descended from Ralph of Wakely, a Norman noble, who held his lands from Count Allan and was thus reflected in the Domesday Book Survey of 1086 A.D.

Early History of the Wagley family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Wagley research. Another 67 words (5 lines of text) covering the year 1600 is included under the topic Early Wagley History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Wagley Spelling Variations

Before the last few hundred years the English language had no fixed system of spelling rules. For that reason, spelling variations occurred commonly in Anglo Norman surnames. Over the years, many variations of the name Wagley were recorded, including Wakley, Wakeley, Wakely, Wakelie, Wakelee, Weakley, Wakerley and many more.

Early Notables of the Wagley family

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

Migration of the Wagley family to Ireland

Some of the Wagley family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 50 words (4 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Wagley migration to the United States +

The unstable environment in England at this time caused numerous families to board ships and leave in search of opportunity and freedom from persecution abroad in places like Ireland, Australia, and particularly the New World. The voyage was extremely difficult, however, and only taken at great expense. The cramped conditions and unsanitary nature of the vessels caused many to arrive diseased and starving, not to mention destitute from the enormous cost. Still opportunity in the emerging nations of Canada and the United States was far greater than at home and many went on to make important contributions to the cultures of their adopted countries. An examination of many early immigration records reveals that people bearing the name Wagley arrived in North America very early:

Wagley Settlers in United States in the 20th Century

Mrs. Wagley, aged 68, who settled in America, in 1909
W. H. Wagley, aged 75, who immigrated to the United States, in 1909