Contents [hide]

Bradly History Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables

Ireland United States Canada New Zealand

Historic Events Related Stories Motto Citations

Bradly History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland
Scotland

The ancestry of the name Bradly dates from the ancient Anglo-Saxon culture of Britain. It comes from when the family lived in Lincolnshire, where they held estates in the village and parish of Bradley, and from which they derived their family name. The name refers to the local "broad ley" meaning "broad meadow" and for this there are many, many parishes, townships, hamlets with this name throughout England. 1 However, the first record of the name appears in the Poll Tax Records of Lincolnshire where William de Bradelai was listed in 1170. 2

Early Origins of the Bradly family

The surname Bradly was first found in Lincolnshire. However, there are at least fifteen parishes and towns that have "Bradley" as part of their name throughout Britain. 1 Most are very small, but three of them date back to the Domesday Book of 1086: Bradley, Derbyshire (Braidelei); Bradley, Maiden Wiltshire (Bradelie) and Bradley in the Moors, Staffordshire (Bretlei.) 3 A reference to the family in the township of Wilpshire in Lancashire was also found. "This place appears to have been the property of the Braddylls, and of the monks of Whalley." 4

Early spellings of the family were very different than those in use today as seen by early entries in the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273: Robert de Bradeleye, Cambridgeshire; and Brice de Bradeleghe, Somerset. 5

The Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379 also had early spellings: Willelmus Brodelegh; Agnes Brodelegh; and Agnes de Bradelay.

Kirby's Quest lists Richard de Bradleghe, Somerset, 1 Edward III and Henry de Bradleye, Somerset, 1 Edward III (during the first year's reign of King Edward III) 6

Further to the north in Scotland, the family hails from "the lands of Braidlie in the barony of Hawick, Roxburghshire [where] John de Bradely rendered homage at Berwick in 1291 and William de Bradeleye of the county of Roxburghe rendered homage in 1296. The seal of William is a curious one, bearing a tree supported by two hares, the dexter one beating a cymbal or drum, the sinister playing a pipe; bird in top, a dog coiled at base, and legend S' Will'i de Bradeley." 7

Early History of the Bradly family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Bradly research. Another 99 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1379, 1596, 1616, 1620, 1627, 1628, 1629, 1673, 1678, 1693, 1732, 1762 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Bradly History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Bradly Spelling Variations

Spelling variations in names were a common occurrence before English spelling was standardized a few hundred years ago. In the Middle Ages, even the literate spelled their names differently as the English language incorporated elements of French, Latin, and other European languages. Many variations of the name Bradly have been found, including Bradley, Bradlie, Bradleigh, Bradly, Bradeley and others.

Early Notables of the Bradly family

Notables of this surname at this time include: Sir Francis Bradley; and Thomas Bradley (ca.1596-1673), English chaplain to George Villiers, 1st Duke of Buckingham and later Chaplain to King Charles I (1628.) "He became a battler of Exeter College, Oxford, in 1616, and proceeded B.A. on 21 July 1620. He was chaplain to the Duke of Buckingham for several years, and accompanied him in the expedition to Rochelle and the Isle of Rhé in 1627. After Buckingham's murder in the following year he became chaplain to Charles I, and on 16 June 1629 a captain in the expedition...
Another 98 words (7 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Bradly Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Bradly family to Ireland

Some of the Bradly family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 119 words (8 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Bradly migration to the United States +

Families began migrating abroad in enormous numbers because of the political and religious discontent in England. Often faced with persecution and starvation in England, the possibilities of the New World attracted many English people. Although the ocean trips took many lives, those who did get to North America were instrumental in building the necessary groundwork for what would become for new powerful nations. Some of the first immigrants to cross the Atlantic and come to North America bore the name Bradly, or a variant listed above:

Bradly Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Eliza Bradly, who arrived in Virginia in 1633 8
Francis Bradly, who arrived in Virginia in 1636 8
Frances Bradly, who landed in Virginia in 1637 8
Jon Bradly, who arrived in Virginia in 1642 8
Ann Bradly, who landed in Virginia in 1653 8
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Bradly Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

James Bradly, aged 42, who landed in Georgia in 1812 8
Patrick Bradly, who settled in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1828
Patrick Bradly, aged 26, who landed in New York, NY in 1835 8

Bradly migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Bradly Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century

Joseph Bradly from County Cork was married in St. John's, Newfoundland in 1821 9
James Bradly, aged 15, a labourer, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick in 1833 aboard the brig "Dorcas Savage" from Belfast, Ireland
Margaret Bradly, who landed in Nova Scotia in 1837

Bradly 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:

Bradly Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Kate Bradly, aged 19, a dairymaid, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Rakaia" in 1879
Margaret Bradly, aged 20, a dairymaid, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Rakaia" in 1879

Historic Events for the Bradly family +

Lady of the Lake

Mr. John Bradly (b. 1811), Irish labourer from Culdaff, Ireland who sailed aboard the "Lady of the Lake" from Greenock, Scotland on 8th April 1833 to Quebec, Canada when the ship hit ice and sunk of the coast of Newfoundland on the 11th May 1833 and he died in the sinking
Miss Grace Bradly (b. 1814), Irish traveller from Culdaff, Ireland who sailed aboard the "Lady of the Lake" from Greenock, Scotland on 8th April 1833 to Quebec, Canada when the ship hit ice and sunk of the coast of Newfoundland on the 11th May 1833 and she died in the sinking
Miss Ann Bradly (b. 1812), Irish traveller from Carndonagh, Ireland who sailed aboard the "Lady of the Lake" from Greenock, Scotland on 8th April 1833 to Quebec, Canada when the ship hit ice and sunk of the coast of Newfoundland on the 11th May 1833 and she died in the sinking

The Bradly 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: Vigilance et audax
Motto Translation: Vigilant and bold.

Citations +

Barber, Henry, British Family Names London: Elliot Stock, 62 Paternoster Row, 1894. Print.
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, 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)
Dickinson, F.H., Kirby's Quest for Somerset of 16th of Edward the 3rd London: Harrison and Sons, Printers in Ordinary to Her Majesty, St, Martin's Lane, 1889. Print.
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)
Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
Seary E.R., Family Names of the Island of Newfoundland, Montreal: McGill's-Queen's Universtity Press 1998 ISBN 0-7735-1782-0