Cheatly History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

The name Cheatly is of Anglo-Saxon origin and came from when the family lived 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

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

Early Origins of the Cheatly family

The surname Cheatly 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 Cheatly family

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

Cheatly Spelling Variations

It is only in the last few hundred years that the English language has been standardized. For that reason, early Anglo-Saxon surnames like Cheatly are characterized by many spelling variations. As the English language changed and incorporated elements of other European languages, even literate people changed the spelling of their names. Scribes and monks in the Middle Ages spelled names they sounded, so it is common to find several variations that refer to a single person. The variations of the name Cheatly include: Cheadle, Chedel, Cheade, Cheatle, Cheddle, Cheatley, Chedle, Chettle and many more.

Early Notables of the Cheatly 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 Cheatly Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Cheatly family

Many English families tired of political and religious strife left Britain for the new colonies in North America. Although the trip itself offered no relief - conditions on the ships were extremely cramped, and many travelers arrived diseased, starving, and destitute - these immigrants believed the opportunities that awaited them were worth the risks. Once in the colonies, many of the families did indeed prosper and, in turn, made significant contributions to the culture and economies of the growing colonies. An inquiry into the early roots of North American families has revealed a number of immigrants bearing the name Cheatly 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.