| ![Show Contents]() Calverley History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
- Origins Available:
 England Calverley is an ancient Norman name that arrived in England after the Norman Conquest of 1066. The Calverley family lived in Yorkshire, where they held a family seat on lands in the lordship of Calverley. Early Origins of the Calverley familyThe surname Calverley was first found in the West Riding of Yorkshire at Calverley, a parish, in the union of Bradford, wapentake of Morley. 1 Today Calverley is a village in the City of Leeds metropolitan borough in West Yorkshire but the place name actually dates back to the Domesday Book of 1086 where it was first listed as Caverleia 2 and literally meant " clearing where calves are pastured," from the Old English words "calf" + "leah." 3 Nearby is Calverley Old Hall, a medieval manor house which is believed to have been built (1485-1495) by the Calverleys. Today the property is held by the Landmark Trust. Baron Calverley is a recent barony created in 1945 for George Muff, the Labour politician. Calverleigh is a village, parish and former manor in Devon that also dates back to the Domesday Book where it was listed as Calodelie and later as Calewudelega in 1194. 3 However, this later village was held by the Nagle family for many years. Of note, was Sir Hugh Calveley (d. 1393), a distinguished soldier, "the son of David de Calvelegh, and his first wife Joan, of Lea in Cheshire, and was the brother, it is thought, of Sir Robert Knolles. Calveley was one of the soldiers of fortune engaged in the war of succession between the partisans of the widow of Jean de Montfort and the wife of Charles de Blois, which lasted with varying fortune from 1341 to 1364. He was buried in the chancel of his college, and his effigy in complete armour may still be seen on one of the finest altar-tombs in his native county. It is engraved in Lysons and in Ormerod. A tablet is suspended against the north wall, opposite to the monument of Calveley, recording a bequest by Dame Mary Calveley of 100l., the interest to be given to poor people frequenting the church on the condition of their cleaning the monument and chancel." 4 Early History of the Calverley familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Calverley research. Another 203 words (14 lines of text) covering the years 1136, 1394, 1605, 1607, 1608, 1658, 1670, 1700 and 1749 are included under the topic Early Calverley History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Calverley Spelling VariationsEndless spelling variations are a prevailing characteristic of Norman surnames. Old and Middle English lacked any definite spelling rules, and the introduction of Norman French added an unfamiliar ingredient to the English linguistic stew. French and Latin, the languages of the court, also influenced spellings. Finally, Medieval scribes generally spelled words according to how they sounded, so one person was often referred to by different spellings in different documents. The name has been spelled Calverley, Calveley, Calverlie, Calverly and others. Early Notables of the Calverley familyOutstanding amongst the family at this time was - Sir Hugh Calveley (died 1394), an English knight and commander, who took part in the Hundred Years' War; his effigy lies at St Boniface's Church, Bunbury, Cheshire; Sir Walter Calverley (1670-1749), 1...
- On the more infamous side, Walter Calverley (died 1605), grandson Sir Walter Calverley was an English squire and murderer. His notoriety came not from the murders but from the literary works that aros...
 Calverley migration to the United States | + |
To escape the political and religious persecution within England at the time, many English families left for the various British colonies abroad. The voyage was extremely difficult, though, and the cramped, dank ships caused many to arrive in the New World diseased and starving. But for those who made it, the trip was most often worth it. Many of the families who arrived went on to make valuable contributions to the emerging nations of Canada and the United States. An inquiry into the early roots of North American families reveals a number of immigrants bearing the name Calverley or a variant listed above:
Calverley Settlers in United States in the 19th Century- Henry Calverley who settled in Philadelphia with his two brothers, Thomas and William, in 1848
- George Calverley, who landed in Allegany (Allegheny) County, Pennsylvania in 1852 5
Calverley Settlers in United States in the 20th Century- James Calverley, aged 29, who immigrated to the United States from York, England, in 1905
- Clara Calverley, aged 15, who landed in America from Huddersfield, England, in 1908
- Dan B. Calverley, aged 42, who immigrated to the United States from Huddersfield, England, in 1908
- Ida Calverley, aged 14, who immigrated to America from Huddersfield, England, in 1908
- Walter Calverley, who landed in America, in 1910
- ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
| Calverley migration to Canada | + |
Some of the first settlers of this family name were: Calverley Settlers in Canada in the 20th Century- Frederick E. Calverley, aged 30, who immigrated to Whitby, Ontario, Canada, in 1910
- John J. Calverley, aged 26, who immigrated to Montreal, Canada, in 1916
- Florence Calverley, aged 24, who settled in Montreal, Canada, in 1916
| Calverley 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: Calverley Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century- Mr. Benjamin Calverley, (b. 1833), aged 40, English labourer from Yorkshire travelling from Gravesend aboard the ship "Surat" going to Dunedin, Otago, South Island, New Zealand in 1873, the ship sunk at the Catlins River all the passengers were transported to Dunedin via various rescure vessels 6
- Mrs. Fanny Calverley, (b. 1838), aged 35, English settler from Yorkshire travelling from Gravesend aboard the ship "Surat" going to Dunedin, Otago, South Island, New Zealand in 1873, the ship sunk at the Catlins River all the passengers were transported to Dunedin via various rescure vessels 6
- Mr. William Calverley, (b. 1856), aged 17, English settler from Yorkshire travelling from Gravesend aboard the ship "Surat" going to Dunedin, Otago, South Island, New Zealand in 1873, the ship sunk at the Catlins River all the passengers were transported to Dunedin via various rescure vessels 6
- Miss Martha Calverley, (b. 1855), aged 18, English servant from Yorkshire travelling from Gravesend aboard the ship "Surat" going to Dunedin, Otago, South Island, New Zealand in 1873, the ship sunk at the Catlins River all the passengers were transported to Dunedin via various rescure vessels 6
| Contemporary Notables of the name Calverley (post 1700) | + |
- David Smith Calverley (1937-2008), American psychologist who studied "hypnotic behaviour" with Theodore Xenophon Barber
- Ernest A. "Ernie" Calverley (1924-2003), American college basketball guard who led the Basketball Association of America in assists per game
- Charles Stuart Calverley (1831-1884), born Charles Stuart Blayds on 22 Dec. 1831 at Martley in Worcestershire, an English poet and parodist; his father, the Rev. Henry Blayds, was a descendant of the ancient Yorkshire family of Calverley 7
- Selwin Calverley (1855-1900), English silver medalist sailor at the 1900 Summer Olympics
- The Rev. William Slater Calverley (1847-1898), English vicar from Yorkshire who became an extraordinary amateur antiquarian
- Bruce Calverley (b. 1918), Australian rules footballer
- Piers Calverley Claughton (1814-1884), English Bishop of Colombo, born at Haydock Lodge, Winwick, Lancashire, on 8 Jan. 1814, son of Thomas Claughton (M.P. for Newton, Lancashire, 1818-25, who died in 1842) 8
- Sir Walter Calverley Trevelyan (1797-1879), English naturalist and geologist, the eldest son of Sir John Trevelyan, 5th Baronet, of Nettlecombe, Somerset
| Historic Events for the Calverley family | + |
HMS Dorsetshire - Arthur Calverley (d. 1945), British Stoker 2nd Class aboard the HMS Dorsetshire when she was struck by air bombers and sunk; he died in the sinking 9
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: Ex caligine veritas
Motto Translation: Truth out of darkness.
- Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
- 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)
- Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print
- 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)
- New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 26th March 2019). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
- Wikisource contributors. "Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900." Wikisource . Wikisource , 4 Jun. 2018. Web. 31 Oct. 2019
- Wikisource contributors. "Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900." Wikisource . Wikisource , 4 Jun. 2018. Web. 30 June 2020
- Force Z Survivors HMS Dorsetshire Crew List, (Retrieved 2018, February 13th), https://www.forcez-survivors.org.uk/biographies/listdorsetshirecrew.html
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Calverley migration to the United States 
Calverley migration to Canada 
Calverley migration to New Zealand 
