Kersley History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

The origins of the Kersley name come from when the Anglo-Saxon tribes ruled over Britain. The name Kersley was originally derived from a family having lived in the settlement of Kearsley in Lancashire. The surname Kersley belongs to the large category of Anglo-Saxon habitation names, which are derived from pre-existing names for towns, villages, parishes, or farmsteads.

Early Origins of the Kersley family

The surname Kersley was first found in Lancashire at Kearsley, now part of Greater Manchester. The first records of the place were found in 1187 when it was spelt Cherselawe and a few years later as Kereleie (c. 1220. ) The name literally means "clearing where cress grows" having derived from the Old English words caerse + leah. 1 There is another Kearsley, a township in the parish of Stamfordham, in Northumberland, but this township has remained rather small in comparison as a census in the late 1800s listed only 11 inhabitants, while the former township in Lancashire had 3,436 inhabitants in the same census.

Early History of the Kersley family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Kersley research. Another 87 words (6 lines of text) covering the year 1210 is included under the topic Early Kersley History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Kersley Spelling Variations

Before English spelling was standardized a few hundred years ago, spelling variations of names were a common occurrence. Elements of Latin, French and other languages became incorporated into English through the Middle Ages, and name spellings changed even among the literate. The variations of the surname Kersley include Kearsley, Kearsey, Keasley, Kersley and others.

Early Notables of the Kersley family

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

Kersley migration to the United States +

A great wave of immigration to the New World was the result of the enormous political and religious disarray that struck England at that time. Families left for the New World in extremely large numbers. The long journey was the end of many immigrants and many more arrived sick and starving. Still, those who made it were rewarded with an opportunity far greater than they had known at home in England. These emigrant families went on to make significant contributions to these emerging colonies in which they settled. Some of the first North American settlers carried this name or one of its variants:

Kersley Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Robert Kersley, aged 22, who arrived in Virginia in 1634 aboard the ship "Bonaventure" coming via St. Domingo 2

Kersley migration to Australia +

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

Kersley Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Elizabeth Caroline Kersley, aged 20, a domestic servant, who arrived in South Australia in 1853 aboard the ship "Shackamaxon" 3
Emily Kersley, aged 16, a domestic servant, who arrived in South Australia in 1853 aboard the ship "Shackamaxon" 3
Francis Kersley, aged 45, a railway labourer, who arrived in South Australia in 1853 aboard the ship "Shackamaxon" 3

Historic Events for the Kersley family +

HMS Hood

Mr. Albert S Kersley (b. 1905), English Marine serving for the Royal Marine from North Warnborough, Odiham, Hook, England, who sailed into battle and died in the HMS Hood sinking 4

HMS Royal Oak

Reginald Kersley, British Sub-Lieutenant with the Royal Navy Reserve aboard the HMS Royal Oak (1939) when she was torpedoed by U-47 and sunk; he survived the sinking 5

Citations +

Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
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)
South Australian Register Thursday 20 January 1853. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) SHACKAMAXON 1853. Retrieved http://www.theshipslist.com/ships/australia/shackamaxon1853.shtml
H.M.S. Hood Association-Battle Cruiser Hood: Crew Information - H.M.S. Hood Rolls of Honour, Men Lost in the Sinking of H.M.S. Hood, 24th May 1941. (Retrieved 2016, July 15) . Retrieved from http://www.hmshood.com/crew/memorial/roh_24may41.htm
Ships hit by U-boats crew list HMS Royal Oak (08) - (Retrieved 2018 February, 9th) - retrieved from https://uboat.net/allies/merchants/crews/ship68.html