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![Show Contents]() Bleys History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
- Origins Available:
 England
The name Bleys was brought to England in the wave of migration that followed the Norman Conquest of 1066. The Bleys family lived in Leicestershire, Suffolk, and Worcestershire. The family name, however, is not a reference to any of those locations, but to the family's residence prior to the Norman Conquest, in Blois, in the Loir-et-Cher region of France. Early Origins of the Bleys familyThe surname Bleys was first found in Suffolk, where they held a family seat since the reign of Richard I or King John. 1 However, some of the family were established at Bishop's Waltham in Southampton at early times. "Here are the remains of the once magnificent palace annexed to the see of Winchester, built in 1135 by Bishop Henry de Blois, brother of King Stephen, and greatly embellished by Wykeham. Henry II. held a great council in this palace in 1182." 2 Early History of the Bleys familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Bleys research. Another 157 words (11 lines of text) covering the years 1066, 1135, 1154, 1205, 1219, 1327, 1497, 1600, 1634, 1686 and 1997 are included under the topic Early Bleys History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Bleys Spelling VariationsSpelling variations in names were a common occurrence in the eras before English spelling was standardized a few hundred years ago. In the Middle Ages, even the literate regularly changed the spellings of their names as the English language incorporated elements of French, Latin, and other European languages. Many variations of the name Bleys have been found, including Bloss, Blos, Blois, Bloy, Bleys, Blosse, Bloyce and many more. Early Notables of the Bleys familyAnother 40 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Bleys Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Migration of the Bleys familyFor many English families, the social climate in England was oppressive and lacked opportunity for change. For such families, the shores of Ireland, Australia, and the New World beckoned. They left their homeland at great expense in ships that were overcrowded and full of disease. Many arrived after the long voyage sick, starving, and without a penny. But even those were greeted with greater opportunity than they could have experienced back home. Numerous English settlers who arrived in the United States and Canada at this time went on to make important contributions to the developing cultures of those countries. Many of those families went on to make significant contributions to the rapidly developing colonies in which they settled. Early North American records indicate many people bearing the name Bleys were among those contributors: Sarah Bloss who arrived in America in 1754 and Peter Bloss who arrived in Philadelphia in 1766.
- Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
- Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
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