Show ContentsDurley History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Durley Family Crest Download (JPG) Heritage Series - 600 DPI

Family Crest Download (JPG) Heritage Series - 600 DPI

Etymology of Durley

What does the name Durley mean?

Durley is a name that was carried to England in the great wave of migration from Normandy following the Norman Conquest of 1066. The Durley family lived in Derbyshire. They were originally from Erle in Calvados, Normandy, and it is from the local form of this name, D'Erle, which means, from Erle, that their name derives. 1

Alternatively, the name could have originated at Durley, a village and civil parish in the City of Winchester district of Hampshire, England. This village dates back to Saxon times when it was known as Deorleage in 901. 2 By the Domesday Book of 1086, it was called Derleie. 3

Early Origins of the Durley family

The surname Durley was first found in Derbyshire at Darley, a parish, in the union of Bakewell, partly in the hundred of Wirksworth. Darley Abbey is a historic mill village, now a suburb of the city of Derby and Darley Dale, also known simply as Darley, is a town and civil parish. 4 5

Darley Dale dates back to the Domesday Book of 1086 where it was first listed as Dereleie. 3 Darley Abbey was an Augustinian monastery that dates back to the 12th century when it was first listed as Derega. 2

In the parish of Lastingham, in the North Riding of Yorkshire, the Darley family have been lords of the manor there for a considerable time. 6

A scan of early rolls revealed Warin de Derleg in the Pipe Rolls for Essex in 1200 and William de Derlay the the Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379. 4

Another source notes the following in the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273: John de Derleye, Yorkshire; Richard de Derleye, Derbyshire; and Robert de Derleg, Derbyshire. The Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379 includes entries for Agnes de Derlay; Nicholaus de Derlegh; and Beatrix de Derlay. 7

Early History of the Durley family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Durley research. Another 122 words (9 lines of text) covering the years 1541, 1559, 1587, 1652, 1689, 1702, 1795, 1798, 1799, 1830, 1846, 1872, 1884 and 1910 are included under the topic Early Durley History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Durley Spelling Variations

Before English spelling was standardized a few hundred years ago, spelling variations of names were a common occurrence. Elements of Latin, Norman French and other languages became incorporated into English throughout the Middle Ages, and name spellings changed even among the literate. The variations of the surname Durley include Darley, Darleigh, Darligh, Darly and others.

Early Notables of the Durley family

George Darley (1795-1846), an Irish poet, novelist, and critic; and Thomas Darley of Aldby Park, Yorkshire who in 1702 bought an Arabian horse named Darley Arabian. This horse's bloodline is...
Another 30 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Durley Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Durley family to Ireland

Some of the Durley family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 239 words (17 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Durley migration to the United States +

In England at this time, the uncertainty of the political and religious environment of the time caused many families to board ships for distant British colonies in the hopes of finding land and opportunity, and escaping persecution. The voyages were expensive, crowded, and difficult, though, and many arrived in North America sick, starved, and destitute. Those who did make it, however, were greeted with greater opportunities and freedoms that they could have experienced at home. Many of those families went on to make important contributions to the young nations in which they settled. Early immigration records have shown some of the first Durleys to arrive on North American shores:

Durley Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • Eliz Durley, aged 17, Irish settler who arrived in New York aboard the ship "Jubilee" in 1836 8
  • Jane Durley, aged 14, Irish settler who arrived in New York aboard the ship "Jubilee" in 1836 8
  • Patrick Durley, aged 18, British settler who arrived in New York aboard the ship "New Zealand" in 1849 8
  • Thos Durley, aged 23, British settler who arrived in New York aboard the ship "Winfield" in 1851 8
  • Bridgt Durley, aged 20, Irish settler who arrived in New York aboard the ship "Limerick" in 1854 8
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
Durley Settlers in United States in the 20th Century
  • Herbert Durley, aged 22, British settler who arrived in New York aboard the ship "Saint Louis" in 1904 8
  • Mrs. Durley, British settler who arrived in Fremantle, Australia aboard the ship "Naldera" in 1920 9
  • Major. G. B. Durley, British settler who arrived in Fremantle, Australia aboard the ship "Naldera" in 1920 9
  • Miss E. Durley, British settler who arrived in Sydney, Australia aboard the ship "Strathnaver" in 1931 9

Durley migration to Australia +

Durley Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
  • Mr. William Durley, English convict who was convicted in Buckinghamshire, England for life, transported aboard the "Asiatic" on 5th June 1819, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 10
  • Mr. Robert Durley, (b. 1802), aged 28, English convict who was convicted in Middlesex, England for life for stealing, transported aboard the "Florentia" on 11th August 1830, arriving in New South Wales, Australia, he died in 1831 11
  • William Durley, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Eden" in 1838 12

Durley 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:

Durley Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century
  • Clara Durley, aged 22, who arrived in Nelson, New Zealand aboard the ship "Fifeshire" in 1842 13

Contemporary Notables of the name Durley (post 1700) +

  • Ella Hamilton Durley (1852-1922), née Hamilton, an American educator, newspaper editor, and journalist
  • Alexander Durley (1912-1980), American college football coach, college athletics administrator, and mathematics professor, head football coach at Texas College from 1942 to 1948, at Texas Southern University from 1949 to 1964
  • Albert Williamson Durley (1841-1914), American politician and lawyer, born in Hennepin, Illinois
  • Aaron Durley (b. 1991), American former Little League World Series baseball player born in Houston, Texas
  • Anthony William Durley (1933-1993), English cricketer, a right-handed batsman who fielded as a wicket-keeper, born in Ilford, Essex
  • Richard John Durley MBE (1868-1948), English-born, Canadian Professor of Mechanical Engineering at McGill University (1901-1912), one of three commission members for the design of the University of British Columbia
  • Walter Durley Boyle, American Democratic Party politician, Candidate for U.S. Representative from Illinois 18th District, 1950 14

The Durley Motto +

The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.

Motto: Per mare
Motto Translation: By sea.
  1. 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)
  2. Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
  3. Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
  4. Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
  5. Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
  6. Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
  7. Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
  8. Ellis Island Search retrieved 21st October 2021. Retrieved from https://heritage.statueofliberty.org/passenger-result
  9. National Records Search retrieved 21st October 2021. Retrieved from https://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/SearchNRetrieve/Gallery151/dist/JGalleryViewer.aspx?B=9255624&S=6&N=9&R=0#/SearchNRetrieve/NAAMedia/ShowImage.aspx?B=9255624&T=P&S=1
  10. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 14th July 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/atlas
  11. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 11th October 2022). https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/florentia
  12. State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) EDEN 1838. Retrieved from http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1838Eden.htm
  13. New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 4th November 2011). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
  14. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, November 2) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html

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