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![Show Contents]() Nowsly History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
- Origins Available:
 England
The ancestors of the name Nowsly date back to the Anglo-Saxon tribes of Britain. The name is derived from when the Nowsly family lived in the township of Knowsley in the parish of Huyton in the county of Lancashire. In 1086, at the time of the Domesday survey Knowsley was considered a part of Cheshire due to the fact that the county of Lancashire was not created until 1182. The parish of Huyton is also known as Huyton-with-Roby in Liverpool. Early Origins of the Nowsly familyThe surname Nowsly was first found in Lancashire at Knowsley, now a large village and civil parish within the Metropolitan Borough of Knowsley in Merseyside. More commonly known as Knowsley Village, the village dates back to the Domesday Book where it was listed as Chenulueslei and literally meant "woodland clearing of a man called Cenwulf or Cynewulf," from the Old English personal name + "leah." 1 "This place was early held by a family of the local name. It became the property of the Lathom family by the marriage of Sir Robert de Lathom with Catherine, daughter and heiress of Thomas de Knowsley." 2 The oldest Thomas de Knowesley was born in the year 1200 and died in Picardie, France in 1259. His son Sir Thomas de Knowsley, born in 1245 and died in 1259 at the age of 14 had no issue. Early History of the Nowsly familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Nowsly research. Another 179 words (13 lines of text) covering the years 1086, 1182, 1570, 1585, 1586 and 1689 are included under the topic Early Nowsly History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Nowsly Spelling VariationsIt is only in the last few hundred years that the English language has been standardized. For that reason, early Anglo-Saxon surnames like Nowsly 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 Nowsly include: Knowsley, Knowesley, Knowsly, Knowslie, Nicely and many more. Early Notables of the Nowsly familyMore information is included under the topic Early Nowsly Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Migration of the Nowsly familyMany 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 Nowsly or a variant listed above: Agnes Knowsley, aged 42, who arrived at New Zealand in 1920; Effa Allan Knowsley, aged 20, who arrived at Wellington, New Zealand in 1920; Florence Leonora Knowsley, aged 40, who arrived at Ellis Island from Ranwell, England in 1914.
- 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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