Maudslay History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

The ancestors of the Maudslay surname lived among the ancient Anglo-Saxon culture. The name comes from when they lived in the settlement of Mawdesley in the county of Lancashire. 1 2 The surname Maudslay 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 Maudslay family

The surname Maudslay was first found in Lancashire at Mawdesley, a township, in the parish of Croston, union of Chorley, hundred of Leyland. "Adam de Mawdesley was a ward of the duchy of Lancaster in the reign of Edward III.; Robert Mawdesley, the last of this ancient family, was living at Mawdesley Hall about 1760. " 3

"The Mawdesleys of Mawdesley possessed the demesnes of Mawdesley from the 12th to the 17th century (B.), and the name still occurs there." 4 Thomas de Maudesley was listed in the Lancashire Fines of 1398. 5

William de Maudesley was listed in the Assize Rolls for Lancashire in 1401 and Robert Mawdesley was listed as a Freeman or York in 1476. 6

Early History of the Maudslay family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Maudslay research. Another 68 words (5 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Maudslay History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Maudslay 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 Maudslay include Mawdesley, Maudesley, Maudsley and others.

Early Notables of the Maudslay family

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

Migration of the Maudslay family

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: Henry Maudesley settled in Boston in 1635; Richard Maudesley settled in Philadelphia in 1852; John Mawdesley settled in New England in 1630; Mary Mawdesley settled with her husband and two children in Philadelphia in 1822.

Contemporary Notables of the name Maudslay (post 1700) +

Algernon Maudslay CBE (1873-1948), English two-time gold medalist sailor at the 1900 Summer Olympics
Reginald Walter Maudslay (1871-1934), English car manufacturer and founder of the Standard Motor Company
Cyril C. Maudslay, English founder of the Maudslay Motor Company, an English vehicle maker based in Coventry in 1902, great grandson of Henry Maudslay
Henry Maudslay (1771-1831), English machine tool innovator, tool and die maker, and inventor, a founding father of machine tool technology, founder of Maudslay, Sons and Field in 1798
Alfred Percival Maudslay (1850-1931), British colonial diplomat, explorer and archaeologist, one of the first Europeans to study Maya ruins

Citations +

Barber, Henry, British Family Names London: Elliot Stock, 62 Paternoster Row, 1894. Print.
Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
Guppy, Henry Brougham, Homes of Family Names in Great Britain. 1890. Print.
Harrison, Henry, Surnames of the United Kingdom: A Concise Etymological Dictionary Baltimore: Geneological Publishing Company, 2013. Print
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)