Hamersly History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

The origins of the Hamersly name lie with England's ancient Anglo-Saxon culture. It comes from when the family lived in the village of Hammersley, in the county of Staffordshire. The surname Hamersly was originally derived from the Old English word hamm, which means flat, low-lying land and the Old English word ley, which refers to a wood clearing or grove.

Early Origins of the Hamersly family

The surname Hamersly was first found in Staffordshire at Hammersley, "a locality probably to be found in Staffordshire." 1 We can find no record of this village today, but there is no doubt some or all of the family came from Staffordshire. By example, the Register of the University of Oxford list Walter Hamersley, in 1610 and William Hamersly in 1617 as both being from Staffordshire 1 Evidence of the family was also found at Kencott in Oxfordshire. It was here that "the family of Hammersley: the tithes were commuted for land and a money payment in 1767." 2

Early History of the Hamersly family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Hamersly research. Another 77 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1687 and 1801 are included under the topic Early Hamersly History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Hamersly Spelling Variations

Before the last few hundred years, the English language had no fast system of spelling rules. For that reason, spelling variations are commonly found in early Anglo-Saxon surnames. Over the years, many variations of the name Hamersly were recorded, including Hammersley, Hammersly and others.

Early Notables of the Hamersly family

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

Migration of the Hamersly family

To escape oppression and starvation at that time, many English families left for the "open frontiers" of the New World with all its perceived opportunities. In droves people migrated to the many British colonies, those in North America in particular, paying high rates for passages in cramped, unsafe ships. Although many of the settlers did not make the long passage alive, those who did see the shores of North America perceived great opportunities before them. Many of the families that came from England went on to make essential contributions to the emerging nations of Canada and the United States. Research into various historical records revealed some of first members of the Hamersly family emigrate to North America: Anne Hammersley settled in Virginia in 1732; Edward Hammersley and George arrived in Philadelphia in 1846; T.W. Hammersley arrived in San Francisco in 1852..

Contemporary Notables of the name Hamersly (post 1700) +

Marge Hamersly, American Republican politician, Delegate to Republican National Convention from Minnesota, 1972 3

Citations +

Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, November 6) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html