Tankeslay History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

Early Origins of the Tankeslay family

The surname Tankeslay was first found in West Riding of Yorkshire at Tankersley, a village and civil parish in the Metropolitan Borough of Barnsley. 1

The village dates back to the Domesday Book of 1086 when it was listed as Tancreslei 2 and literally meant "woodland clearing of a man called Tata" having derived for the Old English personal name + ing + tun. 3

At that time, the land was held by Richard of Sourdeval and was quite small with 3 villagers and had enough land for 2 ploughs. 2 Roger Tankerlayman was listed as Freeman or York in 1387. 4

Early History of the Tankeslay family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Tankeslay research. Another 125 words (9 lines of text) covering the years 1455, 1487, 1510 and 1600 are included under the topic Early Tankeslay History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Tankeslay Spelling Variations

Only recently has spelling become standardized in the English language. As the English language evolved in the Middle Ages, the spelling of names changed also. The name Tankeslay has undergone many spelling variations, including Tankersley, Tankesley, Tankisle, Tankersly, Tankerslie, Tankerslee and many more.

Early Notables of the Tankeslay family

More information is included under the topic Early Tankeslay Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Tankeslay family

To escape the unstable social climate in England of this time, many families boarded ships for the New World with the hope of finding land, opportunity, and greater religious and political freedom. Although the voyages were expensive, crowded, and difficult, those families that arrived often found greater opportunities and freedoms than they could have experienced at home. Many of those families went on to make significant contributions to the rapidly developing colonies in which they settled. Early North American records indicate many people bearing the name Tankeslay were among those contributors: the name represented in many forms and recorded from the mid 17th century in the great migration from Europe. Migrants settled in the eastern seaboard from Newfoundland, to Maine, to Virginia, the Carolinas, and to the islands..

Citations +

Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
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)