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Catley History Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables

Contemporary Notables Historic Events Related Stories Motto Citations

Catley History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Scotland

An ancient Pictish-Scottish family was the first to use the name Catley. It is a name for someone who lived in some place which is now obscure. The surname Catley belongs to the category of habitation names, which are derived from pre-existing names for towns, villages, parishes, or farmsteads. 1

Other sources claim the name is "a nickname for messenger, runner, 2 or "a messenger or runner [who] was fleet of foot." 3

Early Origins of the Catley family

The surname Catley was first found in Perthshire (Gaelic: Siorrachd Pheairt) former county in the present day Council Area of Perth and Kinross, located in central Scotland, where they held a family seat from very ancient times, some say well before the Norman Conquest and the arrival of Duke William at Hastings in 1066 A.D.

Early History of the Catley family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Catley research. Another 79 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1291, 1296, 1745, 1762, 1784 and 1789 are included under the topic Early Catley History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Catley Spelling Variations

During the Middle Ages, there was no basic set of rules and scribes wrote according to sound. The correct spelling of Scottish names were further compromised after many haphazard translations from Gaelic to English and back. Spelling variations of the name Catley include Galletly, Gallightly, Gellatly, Gellately, Gillatly, Golightly and many more.

Early Notables of the Catley family

Notable amongst the Clan at this time was

Anne Catleyborn, born in 1745 in an alley near "Tower Hill, London of very humble parents, her father being a hackney coachman, and her mother a washerwoman...
When about 15 years of age she was apprenticed by her father to William Bates for the purpose of receiving regular instruction in the art of singing, Catley binding himself in the penalty of £200 for...
Having amassed an independence Miss Catley retired from public life in 1784...

Catley migration to Canada +

Scots left their country by the thousands to travel to Australia and North America. Desperate for freedom and an opportunity to fend for themselves, many paid huge fees and suffered under terrible conditions on long voyages. Still, for those who made the trip, freedom and opportunity awaited. In North America, many fought their old English oppressors in the American War of Independence. In recent years, Scottish heritage has been an increasingly important topic, as Clan societies and other organizations have renewed people's interest in their history. An examination of passenger and immigration lists shows many early settlers bearing the name of Catley:

Catley Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century

Jos Catley, who arrived in Canada in 1817

Catley migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Catley Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Mr. Thomas Catley, (b. 1820), aged 18, English labourer who was convicted in Bath, Somerset, England for 7 years for stealing, transported aboard the "Bengal Merchant" on 24th March 1838, arriving in New South Wales, Australia, he died in 1901 4
Hannah Catley, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Ganges" in 1839 5
Clark Catley, aged Stephen, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Ganges" in 1839 5
Catherine Catley, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Ganges" in 1839 5
Sophia Catley, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Ganges" in 1839 5
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Catley 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:

Catley Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Zachariah Catley, aged 31, a sawyer, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Bolton" in 1840
Sarah Catley, aged 29, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Bolton" in 1840
Sarah Catley, aged 9, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Bolton" in 1840
John Catley, aged 7, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Bolton" in 1840
Clara Catley, aged 4, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Bolton" in 1840
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Catley (post 1700) +

Ann Catley (1745-1789), English singer and actress, born in 1745 near Tower Hill, London, the daughter of a hackney coachman, at one time in the service of the Quaker Barclay, and afterwards keeper of the Horns public-house at Norwood 6
Timothy Catley (b. 1977), retired English cricketer
Gwen Catley (1906-1996), English coloratura soprano
Russell James Catley (b. 1973), retired English cricketer
Robert Adrian "Bob" Catley (b. 1947), British musician, best known as the lead singer of the rock band Magnum
Stephanie Catley (b. 1994), Australian footballer

Historic Events for the Catley family +

HMAS Sydney II

Mr. Raymond Rex Catley (1922-1941), Australian Able Seaman from Annanadale, New South Wales, Australia, who sailed into battle aboard HMAS Sydney II and died in the sinking 7

The Catley 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: Hactenus invictus
Motto Translation: Hitherto unconquered.

Citations +

Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
Harrison, Henry, Surnames of the United Kingdom: A Concise Etymological Dictionary Baltimore: Geneological Publishing Company, 2013. Print
Smith, Eldson Coles, New Dictionary of American Family Names New York: Harper & Row, 1956. Print
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 13th October 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/bengal-merchant
State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) GANGES 1839. Retrieved from http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1839Ganges.gif
Wikisource contributors. "Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900." Wikisource . Wikisource , 4 Jun. 2018. Web. 25 Nov. 2019
HMAS Sydney II, Finding Sydney Foundation - Roll of Honour. (Retrieved 2014, April 24) . Retrieved from http://www.findingsydney.com/roll.asp