Artley History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland
Scotland

The Anglo-Saxon name Artley comes from when the family resided in the village of Hartley which was in several English counties including Berkshire, Devon, Dorset, Kent, Lancashire, York and Northumberland. This place-name was originally derived from the Old English words hart which means a stag and lea which means a wood or clearing. 1

Of all these places, Hartley in Kent in the oldest as it dates back to Saxon times when it was known as Heoratleag in 843. 2 Another source claims this parish dates back further as "Heortleáh in the 8th century." 3

Early Origins of the Artley family

The surname Artley was first found in Yorkshire where "Hartley is a very common West Riding name. It is also established in Lancashire. There are hamlets and townships of the name in the West Riding, Westmorland, Northumberland." 4

The Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379 included: Ricardus de Hertlay; and Willelmus de Hertelay. They "lived in the parish of Ecclesfield, West Riding of Yorkshire The surname has ramified in an extraordinary manner in the West Riding. The parentage in all probability will have to be sought for in Ecclesfield parish or the immediate neighbourhood." 5

But before these entries, the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 listed: Brian de Hertheley, Lincolnshire; and Richard de Hertleye, Salop (Shropshire.) 5

Up to the north in Scotland, the name is from "Hartley (Hartecla 1265, Hartcla 1291, Hartla 1306) a manor in the parish of Kirkby-Stephen, Westmorland. Michael de Hardcla or Hartcla was deputy sheriff of Westmorland in 1276 and 1277, and Sheriff of Cumberland in part of the year 1285 and then until 1298. On the execution of his brother Andrew de Hardcla, earl of Carlisle, for treason, he fled into Scotland with a number of his friends." 6

Early History of the Artley family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Artley research. Another 143 words (10 lines of text) covering the years 1191, 1273, 1327, 1379, 1621, 1623, 1691, 1695, 1698, 1705, 1709, 1720, 1757 and 1784 are included under the topic Early Artley History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Artley Spelling Variations

Before English spelling was standardized a few hundred years ago, spelling variations of names were a common occurrence. Elements of Latin, French and other languages became incorporated into English through the Middle Ages, and name spellings changed even among the literate. The variations of the surname Artley include Hartley, Hartly, Hartlay, Hartlaye, Hartlie, Hertley, Hertly, Hertlay, Hertelay, Hertheley, Hertleye, Hertlegh, Hartleigh and many more.

Early Notables of the Artley family

Notables of this surname at this time include:

David Hartley (1705-1757), English philosopher, "baptised at Luddenden, Halifax, on 21 June 1705, although his son gives this date of his birth as 30 Aug. 1705. His father, David Hartley, was entered...
Thomas Hartley (1709?-1784), was a translator of Swedenborg, son of Robert Hartley, a London bookseller and was born in London about 1709. 7

Migration of the Artley family to Ireland

Some of the Artley 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.

Artley migration to the United States +

A great wave of immigration to the New World was the result of the enormous political and religious disarray that struck England at that time. Families left for the New World in extremely large numbers. The long journey was the end of many immigrants and many more arrived sick and starving. Still, those who made it were rewarded with an opportunity far greater than they had known at home in England. These emigrant families went on to make significant contributions to these emerging colonies in which they settled. Some of the first North American settlers carried this name or one of its variants:

Artley Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Clara Ann Artley, aged 44, who immigrated to the United States, in 1896

Artley Settlers in United States in the 20th Century

Arthur Artley, aged 19, who landed in America, in 1922

Contemporary Notables of the name Artley (post 1700) +

Brad Artley, American-based rock drummer
George Robert "Bob" Artley (1917-2011), American professional illustrator, commercial artist, cartoonist, and writer, best known for his feature panel "Memories of a Former Kid"
Sylvester Artley, American politician, Member of Illinois State Senate 3rd District, 1879-83 8

Citations +

Smith, Eldson Coles, New Dictionary of American Family Names New York: Harper & Row, 1956. Print
Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
Harrison, Henry, Surnames of the United Kingdom: A Concise Etymological Dictionary Baltimore: Geneological Publishing Company, 2013. Print
Guppy, Henry Brougham, Homes of Family Names in Great Britain. 1890. 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)
Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, October 2) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html