Mellarey History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

Mellarey is an ancient name dating from the times of the Anglo-Saxon tribes of Britain. It was a name for a person who was a person who was known for bad luck and an unhappy disposition having derived from the Old French word malheure meaning unhappy or unlucky.

Alternatively the name could have originally be Norman, having derived from "Maloures or Malesoures near St. Brieux in Brittany. Durand de Malesoure lived there c. 1040. He had two sons, who came to England in 1066: 1. Adam Fitz Durand who held Essex, 1086; and Fulcher de Maloure, whose barony was in Rutland, and who held Northamptonshire from the Countess Judith at the same date." 1

"The Mallores were seated for many generations in Leicestershire, where they affixed their name to Kirkby Mallory." 2

Early Origins of the Mellarey family

The surname Mellarey was first found in Leicestershire at Kirkby-Mallory, a parish, in the union of Market-Bosworth, hundred of Sparkenhoe. "This place derived its name from the family of Malory, its ancient lords, the first of whom noticed in history was Geoffrey, father of Sir Ankitell Malory, Knt., governor of Leicester Castle under Robert Blanchmains, Earl of Leicester, in the reign of Henry II." 3

Another source expands this story in more detail. "The first of the family that I have met with was Geoffrey, father of Sir Anchitel Mallory, who, being governer of the town and castle of Leicester under Robert Blanchemains in the time of the rebellion against Henry II., marked thence to Northampton, and after a sharp fight, having defeated the burghers there, returned to Leicester with the spoils and plunder of that town; for which his lands being forfeited, they were in 1174 seized by the King. Nor was he ever restored to them." 2

Henry his son, paying a fine of sixty marks to King John obtained full restitution of the manor of Kirkby Malloy and his father's lands in this county and Warwickshire.

Later Richard Mallorei was found in Nottinghamshire c. 1155 and almost twenty years later, William Maleuerei was listed in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire in 1170. 4

During the reign of Henry III., Anketil de Malore was listed in Berkshire, Oxfordshire and Yorkshire. About the same time, Robert Malhore, or Mallore, or Mallori, or Mallory, or Mallure was found in Northamptonshire. The Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 list Anketil Malore in Shropshire and Crispiane Malure in Leicestershire. Later, the Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls listed Johannes Malore, Alicia filius Johannes Maulore and Peter Mature (Herefordshire.) 5

Early History of the Mellarey family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Mellarey research. Another 80 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1405, 1444, 1471, 1564, 1610, 1640, 1642 and 1655 are included under the topic Early Mellarey History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Mellarey Spelling Variations

Until the dictionary, an invention of only the last few hundred years, the English language lacked any comprehensive system of spelling rules. Consequently, spelling variations in names are frequently found in early Anglo-Saxon and later Anglo-Norman documents. One person's name was often spelled several different ways over a lifetime. The recorded variations of Mellarey include Mallory, Mallorie, Mallorey, Mellory and others.

Early Notables of the Mellarey family

Notables of this surname at this time include: Sir Richard Malorye, Lord mayor of London in 1564; and Sir John Mallory (1610-1655), an English politician who sat in the House of Commons (1640-1642), fought on the Royalist side in the English Civil War. Sir Christopher Mallory (son of Sir William and a daughter of Lord Zouche) acquired great estates in North...
Another 59 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Mellarey Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Mellarey family to Ireland

Some of the Mellarey 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 Mellarey family

Thousands of English families boarded ships sailing to the New World in the hope of escaping the unrest found in England at this time. Although the search for opportunity and freedom from persecution abroad took the lives of many because of the cramped conditions and unsanitary nature of the vessels, the opportunity perceived in the growing colonies of North America beckoned. Many of the settlers who survived the journey went on to make important contributions to the transplanted cultures of their adopted countries. The Mellarey were among these contributors, for they have been located in early North American records: Capt. Roger Mallory, (c.1637-c. 1696), English immigrant, holder of the 1660 patent on 2,514 acres in New Kent County, Virginia and direct paternal ancestor of thousands of Mallory descendants in North America.

Citations +

The Norman People and Their Existing Descendants in the British Dominions and the United States Of America. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing, 1975. Print. (ISBN 0-8063-0636-X)
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
Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, 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)