| ![Show Contents]() Betley History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
- Origins Available:
 England Early Origins of the Betley familyThe surname Betley was first found in Staffordshire where they held a family seat as Lords of the Manor. After the Battle of Hastings in 1066, William, Duke of Normandy, having prevailed over King Harold, granted most of Britain to his many victorious Barons. It was not uncommon to find a Baron, or a Bishop, with 60 or more Lordships scattered throughout the country. These he gave to his sons, nephews and other junior lines of his family and they became known as under-tenants. They adopted the Norman system of surnames which identified the under-tenant with his holdings so as to distinguish him from the senior stem of the family. After many rebellious wars between his Barons, Duke William, commissioned a census of all England to determine in 1086, settling once and for all, who held which land. He called the census the Domesday Book, 1 indicating that those holders registered would hold the land until the end of time. Hence, conjecturally, the surname is descended from the tenant of the lands of Betley, Wulfwin, a Norman noble, who held these lands as under-tenant to the King and was recorded in the Domesday Book census of 1086. Early History of the Betley familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Betley research. Another 87 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1208, 1296 and 1332 are included under the topic Early Betley History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Betley Spelling VariationsA multitude of spelling variations characterize Norman surnames. Many variations occurred because Old and Middle English lacked any definite spelling rules. The introduction of Norman French to England also had a pronounced effect, as did the court languages of Latin and French. Therefore, one person was often referred to by several different spellings in a single lifetime. The various spellings include Betley, Bettely, Bettly, Battley, Batteley and others. Early Notables of the Betley familyOutstanding amongst the family at this time was - the Betley of Staffordshire
 Betley migration to the United States | + |
Many English families left England, to avoid the chaos of their homeland and migrated to the many British colonies abroad. Although the conditions on the ships were extremely cramped, and some travelers arrived diseased, starving, and destitute, once in the colonies, many of the families prospered and made valuable contributions to the cultures of what would become the United States and Canada. Research into the origins of individual families in North America has revealed records of the immigration of a number of people bearing the name Betley or a variant listed above:
Betley Settlers in United States in the 20th Century- John Edwin Betley, aged 39, who immigrated to the United States from Bradford, England, in 1919
- John Betley, aged 41, who settled in America from Liverpool, England, in 1920
| Contemporary Notables of the name Betley (post 1700) | + |
- Bob Betley (1940-2020), American professional golfer on the Senior PGA Tour
- Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
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Betley migration to the United States 
