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![Show Contents]() Foxleigh History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
- Origins Available:
 England
Early Origins of the Foxleigh familyThe surname Foxleigh was first found in Northampton, Norfolk and Wiltshire. Foxley is a village and civil parish in Norfolk that dates back to the Domesday Book where it was listed as Foxle, having derived from the Old English words fox + leah and literally meant "woodland clearing frequented by foxes." 1 Foxley was held by the Count or Mortain, who was recorded in the Domesday Book census of 1086. Foxley Wood is a nature reserve that is close by and is the largest ancient woodland and coppice in Norfolk. Foxley is also located in Wiltshire and in this latter case, it was listed as Foxelege in the Domesday Book. Early History of the Foxleigh familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Foxleigh research. Another 159 words (11 lines of text) covering the years 1094, 1138, 1171, 1184, 1187, 1188, 1225, 1306, 1510, 1553 and 1600 are included under the topic Early Foxleigh History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Foxleigh Spelling VariationsMultitudes of spelling variations are a hallmark of Anglo Norman names. Most of these names evolved in the 11th and 12th century, in the time after the Normans introduced their own Norman French language into a country where Old and Middle English had no spelling rules and the languages of the court were French and Latin. To make matters worse, medieval scribes spelled words according to sound, so names frequently appeared differently in the various documents in which they were recorded. The name was spelled Foxley, Foxleigh, Foxly, Focksley, Foksley, Foxlie, Foxlee, Foxlea, Folksley, Foxele, Foxeley and many more. Early Notables of the Foxleigh familyMore information is included under the topic Early Foxleigh Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Migration of the Foxleigh familyBecause of this political and religious unrest within English society, many people decided to immigrate to the colonies. Families left for Ireland, North America, and Australia in enormous numbers, traveling at high cost in extremely inhospitable conditions. The New World in particular was a desirable destination, but the long voyage caused many to arrive sick and starving. Those who made it, though, were welcomed by opportunities far greater than they had known at home in England. Many of these families went on to make important contributions to the emerging nations of Canada and the United States. Analysis of immigration records indicates that some of the first North American immigrants bore the name Foxleigh or a variant listed above: Mary Foxley, who settled in Maryland in 1660; William Foxley, an emigrant in bondage who arrived in Maryland in 1736; and John Foxley, who came to Philadelphia in 1817..
- Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
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