Medly History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

The ancestors of the name Medly date back to the Anglo-Saxon tribes of Britain. The name is derived from when the Medly family lived in place name Madeley (Staffordshire and Shropshire), Medley in Oxfordshire 1 or a Madely in Gloucestershire. 2 The reason for the multiple local names is because the name generally means "woodland clearing of a man called Mada," from the Old English personal name + "leah." 3

The one exception is Madeley-Market in Shropshire where "the name of this town indicates its situation between two rivers, and the adjunct arose from the grant of a market here, in the time of Henry III., to a community of Cluniac monks at Wenlock, to whom Madeley belonged." 4 Madley is a small parish, in the union of Dore, hundred of Webtree, in Herefordshire. 4

Of all the locals, the Staffordshire parish is the oldest as it dates back to Saxon times when it was known as Madanlieg in 975. Both the Staffordshire and Shropshire parishes were entered in the Domesday Book of 1086 and were both listed as Madelie. 5

Early Origins of the Medly family

The surname Medly was first found in Somerset where Simon atte Middele was listed there 1 Edward I (during the first year of the reign of King Edward I.) 6

Later Thomas Medlay was listed in Yorkshire in 1419 and Benedict Medley was listed in the Feet of Fines for Warwickshire in 1496. 2

Early History of the Medly family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Medly research. Another 168 words (12 lines of text) covering the years 1100, 1167, 1504, 1510, 1563, 1578, 1600, 1672, 1703, 1706, 1709, 1710, 1717, 1720, 1721, 1722, 1728, 1731, 1735, 1741, 1742, 1744, 1747 and 1792 are included under the topic Early Medly History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Medly Spelling Variations

It is only in the last few hundred years that the English language has been standardized. For that reason, early Anglo-Saxon surnames like Medly are characterized by many spelling variations. As the English language changed and incorporated elements of other European languages, even literate people changed the spelling of their names. The variations of the name Medly include: Medley, Medleigh, Madley, Madleigh, Medlie, Medlee and many more.

Early Notables of the Medly family

Distinguished members of the family include Henry Medley (d. 1747), British Vice-Admiral who entered the navy in 1703; was in 1706 a midshipman of the Somerset with Captain Price at the relief of Barcelona; passed his examination on 8 Feb. 1709-1710 (passing certificate); and on 5 Sept. 1710 was promoted by Sir John Norris to be Lieutenant of the Fame, from which a few months later he was moved into the Stirling Castle. In 1717 he was a lieutenant of the Barfleur, flagship of Sir George Byng in the Baltic. Early in 1720 he was promoted to the command of the...
Another 131 words (9 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Medly Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Medly migration to the United States +

Many English families tired of political and religious strife left Britain for the new colonies in North America. Although the trip itself offered no relief - conditions on the ships were extremely cramped, and many travelers arrived diseased, starving, and destitute - these immigrants believed the opportunities that awaited them were worth the risks. Once in the colonies, many of the families did indeed prosper and, in turn, made significant contributions to the culture and economies of the growing colonies. An inquiry into the early roots of North American families has revealed a number of immigrants bearing the name Medly or a variant listed above:

Medly Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

John Medly, who arrived in Maryland in 1641 7
Nathaniell Medly, who landed in Virginia in 1662 7
Georg Medly, who landed in Virginia in 1665-1666 7

The Medly 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: In deo fides
Motto Translation: Faith in God

Citations +

Barber, Henry, British Family Names London: Elliot Stock, 62 Paternoster Row, 1894. Print.
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
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.
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)