Show ContentsVoxleigh History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Early Origins of the Voxleigh family

The surname Voxleigh was first found in Northampton, Norfolk and Wiltshire. Foxley is a village and civil parish in Norfolk that dates back to the Domesday Book where it was listed as Foxle, having derived from the Old English words fox + leah and literally meant "woodland clearing frequented by foxes." 1 Foxley was held by the Count or Mortain, who was recorded in the Domesday Book census of 1086. Foxley Wood is a nature reserve that is close by and is the largest ancient woodland and coppice in Norfolk. Foxley is also located in Wiltshire and in this latter case, it was listed as Foxelege in the Domesday Book.

Early History of the Voxleigh family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Voxleigh research. Another 159 words (11 lines of text) covering the years 1094, 1138, 1171, 1184, 1187, 1188, 1225, 1306, 1510, 1553 and 1600 are included under the topic Early Voxleigh History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Voxleigh Spelling Variations

Norman surnames are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. The frequent changes in surnames are largely due to the fact that the Old and Middle English languages lacked definite spelling rules. The introduction of Norman French to England, as well as the official court languages of Latin and French, also had pronounced influences on the spelling of surnames. Since medieval scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded, rather than adhering to any specific spelling rules, it was common to find the same individual referred to with different spellings. The name has been spelled Foxley, Foxleigh, Foxly, Focksley, Foksley, Foxlie, Foxlee, Foxlea, Folksley, Foxele, Foxeley and many more.

Early Notables of the Voxleigh family

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

Migration of the Voxleigh family

Many English families emigrated to North American colonies in order to escape the political chaos in Britain at this time. Unfortunately, many English families made the trip to the New World 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 stormy Atlantic. Despite these hardships, many of the families prospered and went on to make invaluable contributions to the development of the cultures of the United States and Canada. Early North American immigration records have revealed a number of people bearing the name Voxleigh or a variant listed above: Mary Foxley, who settled in Maryland in 1660; William Foxley, an emigrant in bondage who arrived in Maryland in 1736; and John Foxley, who came to Philadelphia in 1817..



  1. Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)


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