Show ContentsLindsley History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The Lindsley family originally lived in the parish of Lindsay in the northern English county of Northumberland. Ealdric de Lindsay held estates in both Normandy and in Lincolnshire, England. He was a tenant of English estates for the Earl of Chester.

Early Origins of the Lindsley family

The surname Lindsley was first found in Lanarkshire (Gaelic: Siorrachd Lannraig) a former county in the central Strathclyde region of Scotland, now divided into the Council Areas of North Lanarkshire, South Lanarkshire, and the City of Glasgow where they were descended from Randolph Lord of Toeni who was banished by Duke William from Normandy in 1058 along with many other knights.

He settled on the borders of Lincolnshire and Leicestershire and erected a barony known as Linesi including Belvoir Castle. When the Duke of Normandy invaded England he was again forced to move and settled on the lands of Crawford in Lanarkshire Scotland.

"The first of the name in Scotland is Sir Walter de Lindeseya, who appears as one of the witnesses in the Inquisitio of Earl David concerning the possessions and rights of the see of Glasgow in 1124. His great-grandson, Sir William de Lindeseia, was one of the hostages for King William the Lion, 1174," 1

"Lord Lindsay tells us the names Lindesay and Limesay are identical, both of them implying 'Isle of Lime-trees,' and are frequently interchanged, and applied to the same individuals in ancient public records and in the early transcripts of the Battle Abbey Roll." 2

John Lindsay (d. 1335) was "Bishop of Glasgow, belonged to the family of the Lindsays of Lambertoun in Berwickshire, and was descended from Sir Walter de Lindsay (d. 1222), second son of William Lindsay of Crawford, judiciary of Scotland under William the Lion. He was the son of Walter Lindsay of Lambertoun, and his name first appears as witness to one of the charters, dated about 1275, and preserved in the chartulary of Paisley." 3

Early History of the Lindsley family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Lindsley research. Another 275 words (20 lines of text) covering the years 1120, 1174, 1189, 1198, 1200, 1292, 1340, 1396, 1483, 1513, 1552, 1558, 1559, 1589, 1597, 1598, 1608, 1618, 1652, 1659, 1664, 1677, 1679, 1700, 1713, 1714, 1722, 1724, 1737, 1760, 1788 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Lindsley History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Lindsley Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Lindsay, Lyndsay, Lyndsey, Lindesey, Lindsey and many more.

Early Notables of the Lindsley family

Notable among the family at this time was John Lindsay, 6th Earl of Crawford (before 1483-1513), an Earl of Crawford; Alexander Lindsay, 2nd Lord Balcarres and 1st Earl of Balcarres (1618-1659), a Scottish nobleman; Colin Lindsay, 3rd Earl of Balcarres (1652-1722), a Scottish aristocrat and politician; John Lindsay of Balcarres (1552-1598), Lord Menmuir, Chancellor of the University of St Andrews, 1597-1598; William Lindsay of Dovehill (died 1679), a Scottish Presbyterian minister serving in Perth, Scotland; Sir John Lindsay (1737-1788), a British naval officer; John Lindsay, 19th Earl of Crawford and...
Another 89 words (6 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Lindsley Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Lindsley Ranking

In the United States, the name Lindsley is the 9,941st most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 4

Ireland Migration of the Lindsley family to Ireland

Some of the Lindsley family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 278 words (20 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.


United States Lindsley migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Lindsley Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
  • Francis Lindsley, who settled in Connecticut in 1644
Lindsley Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • Wm. Lindsley, who arrived in New York, NY in 1822
  • Andrew Lindsley, who arrived in Boston in 1848
  • S. A. Lindsley, who settled in San Francisco in 1852

Canada Lindsley migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Lindsley Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century
  • James Lindsley, who settled in Ontario in 1871
  • Harmon Lindsley, who settled in Ontario in 1871

Contemporary Notables of the name Lindsley (post 1700) +

  • James Girard Lindsley (1819-1898), American Republican politician, Mayor of Kingston, New York, 1872; U.S. Representative from New York 17th District, 1885-87 5
  • Herbert P. Lindsley, American politician, Mayor of Wichita, Kansas, 1961-62 5
  • Henry S. Lindsley (b. 1956), American politician, Justice of Colorado State Supreme Court, 1955-56 5
  • Henry Dickinson Lindsley (1872-1938), American politician, Mayor of Dallas, Texas, 1915-17 5
  • Harvey Lindsley, American politician, Prohibition Candidate for Connecticut State House of Representatives from South Windsor, 1894 5
  • George H. Lindsley, American Democratic Party politician, Delegate to Democratic National Convention from New York, 1904 5
  • Frank Lindsley, American Democratic Party politician, Member of Michigan Democratic State Central Committee, 1973 5
  • Floyd E. Lindsley, American politician, Member of Minnesota State Senate 12th District, 1919-22 5
  • Eleazer Lindsley, American politician, Member of New York State Assembly from Ontario County, 1791-92 5
  • Charles H. Lindsley, American politician, Member of Minnesota State Senate 8th District, 1857-58 5
  • ... (Another 8 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)


The Lindsley Motto +

The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.

Motto: Endure fort
Motto Translation: Endure with strength.


  1. Black, George F., The Surnames of Scotland Their Origin, Meaning and History. New York: New York Public Library, 1946. Print. (ISBN 0-87104-172-3)
  2. Cleveland, Dutchess of The Battle Abbey Roll with some Account of the Norman Lineages. London: John Murray, Abermarle Street, 1889. Print. Volume 2 of 3
  3. Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print
  4. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  5. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, October 28) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html


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