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![Show Contents]() Midglay History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
- Origins Available:
 England
The ancestors of the name Midglay date back to the days of the Anglo-Saxon tribes of Britain. The name is derived from their residence in the settlement of Migley in Durham, or in the place named Midgley in the West Riding of Yorkshire. The surname Midglay 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 Midglay familyThe surname Midglay was first found in West Riding of Yorkshire at Midgley, a hill-top village in Calderdale in the chapelry of Luddenden, parish and union of Halifax, wapentake of Morley. The village dates back to at least the Domesday Book when it was listed as Micleie and literally meant "wood or clearing infested with midges," from the Old English mycg + leah. 1 One branch was later found at Thornton, again in the West Riding of Yorkshire. "Leventhorpe Hall, also in the township, was the seat of a distinguished family; and at Headley is an old mansion in the Elizabethan style, in former times occupied by a branch of the Midgleys." 2 Early History of the Midglay familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Midglay research. Another 100 words (7 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Midglay History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Midglay Spelling VariationsMidglay has been spelled many different ways. Before English spelling became standardized over the last few hundred years, spelling variations in names were a common occurrence. As the English language changed in the Middle Ages, absorbing pieces of Latin and French, as well as other languages, the spelling of people's names also changed considerably, even over a single lifetime. Many variations of the name Midglay have been found, including Midgley, Midgeley, Midgely, Medgley, Medgely, Medgeley and many more. Early Notables of the Midglay familyMore information is included under the topic Early Midglay Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Migration of the Midglay familyIn an attempt to escape the chaos experienced in England, many English families boarded overcrowded and diseased ships sailing for the shores of North America and other British colonies. Those families hardy enough, and lucky enough, to make the passage intact were rewarded with land and a social environment less prone to religious and political persecution. Many of these families became important contributors to the young colonies in which they settled. Early immigration and passenger lists have documented some of the first Midglays to arrive on North American shores: Robert and John Medley, who came to Virginia in 1635; Roger Medley settled in Barbados in 1672; John and Benjamin Midgley settled in New York in 1820.
- 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.
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