Schilley History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

The name Schilley reached English shores for the first time with the ancestors of the Schilley family as they migrated following the Norman Conquest of 1066. The Schilley family lived in Sussex having derived from the Old English word shelf, meaning a wooded clearing on a ledge or plateau, and indicates that the original bearer lived near such a landmark. (smith)

Following the Norman line "genealogists assert that the Sheeleys 'came out of France with William the Conqueror.' Seulle, Shevels, or Sheuile, is found in the lists called the Roll of Battel Abbey." 2

Early Origins of the Schilley family

The surname Schilley was first found in Sussex where "there is no doubt of the antiquity of the house of Shelley, the accounts of the earlier descents of the family are very scanty. Originally of the county of Huntingdon, [now Cambridgeshire] the Shelleys are said to have removed into this county at a very early period." 3

The earliest record of the name was John and Thomas Shelley who followed the fortunes of Richard II and were subsequently beheaded in the first year of Henry IV's rule. The remaining brother who was not connected, retained his possessions. 3

The Pipe Rolls for Suffolk included two entries for the family with very early spellings: Matilda de Selleg, Richard de Selueleg, there in 1201. Years later, Henry de Schellay was listed in the Subsidy Rolls for Yorkshire in 1297 and later Roger de Shelley was listed in the Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379. The Feet of Fines for Surrey for 1473 included and entry for John Shelley. 4

Early History of the Schilley family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Schilley research. Another 154 words (11 lines of text) covering the years 1297, 1480, 1513, 1526, 1549, 1567, 1589, 1644, 1666 and 1736 are included under the topic Early Schilley History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Schilley Spelling Variations

Anglo-Norman names tend to be marked by an enormous number of spelling variations. This is largely due to the fact that Old and Middle English lacked any spelling rules when Norman French was introduced in the 11th century. The languages of the English courts at that time were French and Latin. These various languages mixed quite freely in the evolving social milieu. The final element of this mix is that medieval scribes spelled words according to their sounds rather than any definite rules, so a name was often spelled in as many different ways as the number of documents it appeared in. The name was spelled Shelly, Shelley and others.

Early Notables of the Schilley family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was Sir William Shelley (1480-1549), and English judge, the eldest son of Sir John Shelley (died 1526): Sir Richard Shelley (1513?-1589?), last grand prior of the knights of St. John in England, second...
Another 40 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Schilley Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Schilley migration to the United States +

Because of the political and religious discontent in England, families began to migrate abroad in enormous numbers. Faced with persecution and starvation at home, the open frontiers and generally less oppressive social environment of the New World seemed tantalizing indeed to many English people. The trip was difficult, and not all made it unscathed, but many of those who did get to Canada and the United States made important contributions to the young nations in which they settled. Some of the first North American settlers with Schilley name or one of its variants:

Schilley Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Mr. Schilley, who landed in San Francisco, California in 1851 5

The Schilley 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: Fey e fidalgia
Motto Translation: Faith and fidelity

Citations +

Smith, Eldson Coles, New Dictionary of American Family Names New York: Harper & Row, 1956. Print
Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
Shirley, Evelyn Philip, The Noble and Gentle Men of England; The Arms and Descents. Westminster: John Bower Nichols and Sons, 1866, Print.
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
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)