Parlee History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

The ancestors of the bearers of the Parlee family name are thought have lived in ancient Anglo-Saxon England. They were first found in the county of Hertfordshire, where they took their name from the parish of Barley. This parish dates back to Saxon times when it known as Beranlei c. 1050. By the time of the Domesday Book of 1086, it was known as Berlai and probably meant "woodland clearing of a man called Be(o)ra," from the Old Egnlish personal name + "leah." 1

The township of Barley in Lancashire dates back to at least 1324 when it was known as Baylegh. 1 It has a similar origin but in early days had a different spelling.

Early Origins of the Parlee family

The surname Parlee was first found in Herefordshire where the Saxon name Leofric de Berle was recorded c. 975. 2 In Warwickshire, Jordan Barlie was listed there in the Assize Rolls for 1221. In Cambridgeshire, the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 include William de Berele. 3

According to Reaney, Barleyman is an interesting variant. It is a "metonymy for a maker or seller of barley-bread or cakes." and in this case, Josce Barlibred who was listed in the Pipe Rolls for Norfolk for 1185 is the first entry. 2

Early History of the Parlee family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Parlee research. Another 76 words (5 lines of text) covering the years 1451, 1466, 1487, 1501, 1521, 1529, 1557, 1565, 1591 and 1614 are included under the topic Early Parlee History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Parlee Spelling Variations

Until quite recently, the English language has lacked a definite system of spelling rules. Consequently, Anglo-Saxon surnames are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. Changes in Anglo-Saxon names were influenced by the evolution of the English language, as it incorporated elements of French, Latin, and other languages. Although Medieval scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded, so it is common to find one person referred to by several different spellings of his surname, even the most literate people varied the spelling of their own names. Variations of the name Parlee include Barley, Barly, Barely, Barle, Barlay and others.

Early Notables of the Parlee family

Notables of the family at this time include William Barley (1451-1521) of Albury, Hertfordshire. He was attainted of treason for his support of Perkin Warbeck and lost all his lands. Pardoned in 1501, he was once again in possession of his lands, including the manors of Wicken, Elsenham, Albury, Wickhamstead and Moulsham. he was High Sheriff of...
Another 57 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Parlee Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Parlee migration to the United States +

Searching for a better life, many English families migrated to British colonies. Unfortunately, the majority of them traveled under extremely harsh conditions: overcrowding on the ships caused the majority of the immigrants to arrive diseased, famished, and destitute from the long journey across the ocean. For those families that arrived safely, modest prosperity was attainable, and many went on to make invaluable contributions to the development of the cultures of the new colonies. Research into the origins of individual families in North America revealed records of the immigration of a number of people bearing the name Parlee or a variant listed above:

Parlee Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Eliza C. Parlee, aged 45, who landed in America from London, in 1892

Parlee migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Parlee Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century

Mr. Peter Parlee U.E. who settled in Sussex Vale [Sussex Corner], New Brunswick c. 1784 4
Mr. Peter Parlee Sr., U.E. who settled in Canada c. 1784 4

Parlee Settlers in Canada in the 20th Century

Emma Parlee, aged 34, who settled in Moncton, New Brunswick, Canada, in 1908

Contemporary Notables of the name Parlee (post 1700) +

Kim Parlee (b. 1970), Canadian anchor and host of SqueezePlay on BNN
T. Babbitt Parlee (1914-1957), Canadian lawyer and political figure who represented the city of Moncton in the Legislative Assembly of New Brunswick (1952 to 1957)

Citations +

Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
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)
Rubincam, Milton. The Old United Empire Loyalists List. Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc, 1976. (Originally published as; United Empire Loyalists. The Centennial of the Settlement of Upper Canada. Rose Publishing Company, 1885.) ISBN 0-8063-0331-X