Grumlay History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

The name Grumlay arrived in England after the Norman Conquest of 1066. The Grumlay family lived in Worcestershire as Lords of the manor of Grimley.

Early Origins of the Grumlay family

The surname Grumlay was first found in Worcestershire at Grimley, a village and civil parish now in the Malvern Hills District, originally in the union of Martley, Lower division of the hundred of Oswaldslow. An ancient Saxon stronghold, the first listing of the place name was in the 9th century when it was listed as Grimanleage. By the Domesday Book of 1086, the place name had evolved to Grimanleh and consisted of a mill and one half of a fishery of eels. 1 The place name literally means "wood or glade haunted by a spectre or goblin," from the Old English words "grima" + "leah." 2

Early History of the Grumlay family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Grumlay research. Another 78 words (6 lines of text) covering the year 1890 is included under the topic Early Grumlay History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Grumlay Spelling Variations

A multitude of spelling variations characterize Norman surnames. Many variations occurred because Old and Middle English lacked any definite spelling rules. The introduction of Norman French to England also had a pronounced effect, as did the court languages of Latin and French. Therefore, one person was often referred to by several different spellings in a single lifetime. The various spellings include Grimley, Grimly, Grimleigh, Grimlie, Grymley and many more.

Early Notables of the Grumlay family

More information is included under the topic Early Grumlay Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Grumlay family to Ireland

Some of the Grumlay family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 57 words (4 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Grumlay family

Many English families left England, to avoid the chaos of their homeland and migrated to the many British colonies abroad. Although the conditions on the ships were extremely cramped, and some travelers arrived diseased, starving, and destitute, once in the colonies, many of the families prospered and made valuable contributions to the cultures of what would become the United States and Canada. Research into the origins of individual families in North America has revealed records of the immigration of a number of people bearing the name Grumlay or a variant listed above: Barnard Grimley settled in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1864; followed by Owen in 1875.

Citations +

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)