Durley History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

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

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.

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

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.

Early History of the Durley family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Durley research. Another 86 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1702, 1795 and 1846 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

Another 44 words (3 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. More information about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Durley migration to Australia +

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

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 4
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 5
William Durley, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Eden" in 1838 6

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 7

Contemporary Notables of the name Durley (post 1700) +

Walter Durley Boyle, American Democratic Party politician, Candidate for U.S. Representative from Illinois 18th District, 1950 8

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.

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)
Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 14th July 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/atlas
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 11th October 2022). https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/florentia
State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) EDEN 1838. Retrieved from http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1838Eden.htm
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 4th November 2011). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, November 2) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html