Henlee History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

The name Henlee has a long Anglo-Saxon heritage. The name comes from when a family lived in one of the settlements called Henley in Oxfordshire, Shropshire, Somerset, Suffolk, Surrey, and Warwickshire. The oldest of the parishes is found in Somerset where it was known as Henleighe in 973. The place names literally mean "high wood or clearing" 1 with the exception of the Shropshire parish which means "one frequented by wild birds." 2

Early Origins of the Henlee family

The surname Henlee was first found in Somerset where they held a family seat from ancient times as Lords of the Manor of Henley, the main line of the family producing the Barons Henley, the Earls of Northington, the Barons Ongley and many other knightly branches.

John de Heneleghe was registered as holding lands in Somerset, 1 Edward III (during the first year of the reign of King Edward III.) 3

Gilbert de Henlega was listed in the Pipe Rolls of Worcester in 1181; Robert de Henlay in Yorkshire in 1270; and William Heneley in Northumberland in 1392. 4

The Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 included: Philipp de Heneley, Salop (Shropshire); and John de Heneleye, Warwickshire as holding lands in their respective shires. 5

Walter de Henley (fl. 1250), was a writer on agriculture, "is stated to have been a 'Chivaler,' and afterwards to have become a Dominican friar. Henley's original text has clearly been much garbled and interpolated in the extant manuscripts; the early text is said to be best represented in two manuscripts in the Cambridge University Library. They appear to date from the time of Edward I or Edward II." 6

Early History of the Henlee family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Henlee research. Another 88 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1612, 1613, 1653, 1679, 1692, 1696, 1708, 1711, 1756 and 1772 are included under the topic Early Henlee History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Henlee 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 Henlee have been found, including Henley, Henlee, Henleigh, Henlie, Henly, Hendleigh, Hendley, Hendlie, Hendlee, Henelly and many more.

Early Notables of the Henlee family

Distinguished members of the family include William Ernest Henley, the poet; and Henry Henley (1612-1696), an English politician, Member of Parliament for Somerset in 1653. Anthony Henley (d. 1711), wit and politician, the son of Sir Robert Henley of the Grange, near Arlesford, Hampshire, M.P. for Andover in 1679, who married Barbara, daughter of Sir Edward Hungerford. Sir Robert Henley, Master of the Court of King's Bench, on the pleas side, a place then worth 4,000l. a year, was his grandfather. Out of the profits of this...
Another 87 words (6 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Henlee Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Henlee family to Ireland

Some of the Henlee family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt. More information about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Henlee family

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 Henlee, or a variant listed above: Christopher Henley settled in Virginia in 1622; Ann, Dorothy, and Rebecca all settled in Annapolis Maryland in 1725; Matthew and James arrived in New York in 1768.

Citations +

Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
Smith, Eldson Coles, New Dictionary of American Family Names New York: Harper & Row, 1956. Print
Dickinson, F.H., Kirby's Quest for Somerset of 16th of Edward the 3rd London: Harrison and Sons, Printers in Ordinary to Her Majesty, St, Martin's Lane, 1889. Print.
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print