Cheatlay History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

The ancestors of the bearers of the Cheatlay family name are thought have lived in ancient Anglo-Saxon England. They were first found in or near either of the settlements called Cheadle in the counties of Cheshire and Staffordshire. Cheetle is a "parish, in the union of Wimborne and Cranborne, hundred of Moncktonup-Wimborne, Wimborne division of Dorset." 1

Cheatlay belongs to the class of habitation names, which are derived from pre-existing names for towns, villages, parishes, or farmsteads.

Early Origins of the Cheatlay family

The surname Cheatlay was first found in Cheshire at Cheadle, a parish, partly in the union of Stockport, and partly in that of Altrincham, hundred of Macclesfield. "The village, situated near the Mersey, is remarkable for the beauty and salubrity of its situation, and its neat appearance." 1

In Staffordshire, Cheadle is a market-town and parish, and the head of a union, in the S. division of the hundred of Totmonslow. 1

Early feudal rolls provided the king of the time a method of cataloguing holdings for taxation, but today they provide a glimpse into the wide surname spellings in use at that time. Hobbe de Chedel was found at Wakefield, Yorkshire in 1297; Agnes de Chedle in the Assize Rolls for Staffordshire in 1356; John Chetel was listed in the Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379; Wilson Chetill in Dorset in 1546; and William Chettle in Somerset in 1641. 2

"There is a Dorset parish [named Cheetle]; and an ancient family of Chettle held property in Blandford St. Mary, Dorset, during the 16th and 17th centuries." 3

Early History of the Cheatlay family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Cheatlay research. Another 102 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1592 and 1607 are included under the topic Early Cheatlay History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Cheatlay Spelling Variations

Until quite recently, the English language has lacked a definite system of spelling rules. Consequently, Anglo-Saxon surnames are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. Changes in Anglo-Saxon names were influenced by the evolution of the English language, as it incorporated elements of French, Latin, and other languages. Although Medieval scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded, so it is common to find one person referred to by several different spellings of his surname, even the most literate people varied the spelling of their own names. Variations of the name Cheatlay include Cheadle, Chedel, Cheade, Cheatle, Cheddle, Cheatley, Chedle, Chettle and many more.

Early Notables of the Cheatlay family

Notables of this surname at this time include: Henry Chettle (d. 1607?), English dramatist and pamphleteer, son of Robert Chettle, a dyer of London. "Chettle first comes...
Another 27 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Cheatlay Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Cheatlay family

Searching for a better life, many English families migrated to British colonies. Unfortunately, the majority of them traveled under extremely harsh conditions: overcrowding on the ships caused the majority of the immigrants to arrive diseased, famished, and destitute from the long journey across the ocean. For those families that arrived safely, modest prosperity was attainable, and many went on to make invaluable contributions to the development of the cultures of the new colonies. Research into the origins of individual families in North America revealed records of the immigration of a number of people bearing the name Cheatlay or a variant listed above: Margaret and William Cheadle settled in Virginia in 1663; Ann Cheade also settled in Virginia in that year, probably the daughter.

Citations +

Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
Guppy, Henry Brougham, Homes of Family Names in Great Britain. 1890. Print.