Hawksley History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

Early Origins of the Hawksley family

The surname Hawksley was first found in Lancashire where William de Hauekesle was listed in the Assize Rolls for 1246. Later, Richard de Hauekeslowe was listed in Cheshire in 1321. The name is originally from Hawkesley Hall in King Norton, Worcestershire and literally meant 'dweller at the clearing frequented by hawks.' 1

Alternatively the name could have originated in Hauxley, in the parish of Warkworth, union of Alnwick, E. division of Coquetdale ward, N. division of Northumberland. 2 3

Early History of the Hawksley family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Hawksley research. Another 119 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1273, 1384, 1386, 1387, 1390, 1393, 1408, 1424, 1425, 1455 and 1487 are included under the topic Early Hawksley History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Hawksley Spelling Variations

Spelling variations in names were a common occurrence before English spelling was standardized a few hundred years ago. In the Middle Ages, even the literate spelled their names differently as the English language incorporated elements of French, Latin, and other European languages. Many variations of the name Hawksley have been found, including Hawksley, Hawkesley, Hakesley, Horkesley, Horksley, Haxley, Hawxley, Howxley and many more.

Early Notables of the Hawksley family

Distinguished members of the family include Thomas Haxey (d. 1425), Treasurer of York minister, may have been a native of Haxey, in the isle of Axholme in Lincolnshire, to which village he left benefactions in his will. In 1384 he became rector of Pulham in Norfolk, which he exchanged in the same year for the living of St. Nicholas Cole-Abbey in the city of London. Early in 1386 he was presented by the king to the rectory of Toppesfield in Essex, but resigned it after half a year...
Another 87 words (6 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Hawksley Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Hawksley migration to the United States +

Families began migrating abroad in enormous numbers because of the political and religious discontent in England. Often faced with persecution and starvation in England, the possibilities of the New World attracted many English people. Although the ocean trips took many lives, those who did get to North America were instrumental in building the necessary groundwork for what would become for new powerful nations. Some of the first immigrants to cross the Atlantic and come to North America bore the name Hawksley, or a variant listed above:

Hawksley Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Mr. William Hawksley, aged 35, who arrived at Ellis Island, New York in 1828 aboard the ship "Essex" 4
Mrs. Mary Ann Hawksley, aged 30, who arrived at Ellis Island, New York in 1828 aboard the ship "Essex" 4
J. W. Hawksley, aged 36, who arrived at Ellis Island, New York in 1840 aboard the ship "British Queen" 4
Saml Hawksley, aged 29, who arrived at Ellis Island, New York in 1843 aboard the ship "Quebec" 4
Joseph F Hawksley, who landed in New York, NY in 1843 5
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Hawksley migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Hawksley Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Mr. John Hawksley who was convicted in Nottingham, Nottinghamshire, England for 14 years, transported aboard the "England"on 31st March 1832, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 6
Mr. James Hawksley, English convict who was convicted in Preston, Lancashire, England for 6 years, transported aboard the "Clara" on 28th January 1864, arriving in Western Australia, Australia 7

Hawksley Settlers in Australia in the 20th Century

Mrs. M. Hawksley, who arrived in Sydney, Australia aboard the ship "Orsova" in 1929 8
Mr. Graham Hawksley, who arrived in Melbourne, Australia aboard the ship "Ranchi" in 1950 8

Contemporary Notables of the name Hawksley (post 1700) +

James Hawksley, American actor, known for Age of Reason, Grown Up Movie Star (2009) and Closet Monster (2015)
Thomas Hawksley (1807-1893), English civil engineer, known or his early water supply and coal gas engineering projects
Roy Hawksley (1942-1961), English rugby league player who played from 1961 to 1975
Lucinda Hawksley, English writer, great-great-great-granddaughter of Charles Dickens
Phillip Warren Hawksley (b. 1943), British politician, Member of Parliament for The Wrekin from 1979
James Hawksley (b. 1989), Australian rules footballer who played for the Brisbane Lions from 2008 to 2012
Humphrey Hawksley, British journalist, a foreign correspondent for the BBC since the early 1980s
Dominic Hawksley (b. 1952), British actor, known for Guiding Light, Max Payne (2001) and Death Machine (1994)
Charles Hawksley (1839-1917), British civil engineer, son of civil engineer Thomas Hawksley
Hawksley Workman (b. 1975), born Ryan Corrigan, Canadian rock singer-songwriter

Citations +

Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
Barber, Henry, British Family Names London: Elliot Stock, 62 Paternoster Row, 1894. Print.
Ellis Island Search retrieved 9th February 2023. Retrieved from https://heritage.statueofliberty.org/passenger-result
Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 26th April 2022). https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/england
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 16th February 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/clara
National Archives of Australia Retrieved 9th February 2023. Retrieved from https://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/SearchNRetrieve/Interface/ListingReports/PassengerListing.aspx