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Whalley History Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables

Ireland United States Australia New Zealand

Contemporary Notables Historic Events Related Stories Motto Citations

Whalley History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

Whalley is an ancient Norman name that arrived in England after the Norman Conquest of 1066. The Whalley family lived in Lancashire, in the township of Whalley while Whaley is a small village in Derbyshire.

"The name of this great parochial division is Saxon, signifying the "Field of Wells," expressed by the word Walalæh. The village is chiefly celebrated for the venerable ruins of its abbey. In 1296 Henry de Lacy, Earl of Lincoln, having given the advowson of Whalley to the White monks of Stanlow, in Cheshire, they removed hither, and founded an abbey of the Cistercian order, dedicated to the Blessed Virgin it was consecrated in 1306, and additions were made to the buildings for more than 140 years after that time. The remains are still considerable, and possess much interest, exhibiting portions in the early, decorated, and later English styles." 1

Early Origins of the Whalley family

The surname Whalley was first found in Lancashire where they were descended from Wyamarus Whalley, who accompanied William the Conqueror, from Normandy, and was the Standard Bearer at the Battle of Hastings. The Conqueror gave him the lordship of Whalley in the county of Lancaster. In 1296 an Abbot and about 20 monks arrived in Whalley to create a church that would become Whalley Abbey. One of the census records of the name was Robert de Whalley who died before 1193 and was listed as the rector of Rochdale. 2

The church of St. Michael in Aughton, Lancashire would be an important ecclesiastical stronghold for the family. For it was there that a long tradition of rectors in the family was established. The first was Henry le Waleys who was rector in 1292, followed by Thomas le Waleys in 1303, Gilbert le Waleys in 1317, John le Waleys in 1318 and Henry (son of Richard) le Waleys in 1337. 3

The first of the tenants of Litherland, Augton "was Richard le Waleys, who also held a third of the manor of Aughton. In 1212 it was found that he was holding a ploughland in Litherland for 10s. He died in 1221, and his son and heir Richard agreed to pay 40s. -four times the annual rent-as his relief, and was placed in possession. After the death of Richard, a Robert le Waleys appears to have been the principal member of the family; (fn. 10) possibly he was a brother and held some part of the manor, acting as guardian to John le Waleys of Litherland, the son and heir of Richard, who lived on till the beginning of the next century, and was after his death said to have been a 'centenarian.' " 3

Early History of the Whalley family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Whalley research. Another 120 words (9 lines of text) covering the years 1499, 1583, 1607, 1660, 1675, 1686, 1718 and 1719 are included under the topic Early Whalley History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Whalley Spelling Variations

Endless spelling variations are a prevailing characteristic of Norman surnames. Old and Middle English lacked any definite spelling rules, and the introduction of Norman French added an unfamiliar ingredient to the English linguistic stew. French and Latin, the languages of the court, also influenced spellings. Finally, Medieval scribes generally spelled words according to how they sounded, so one person was often referred to by different spellings in different documents. The name has been spelled Whalley, Whaley, Walley, Whally and others.

Early Notables of the Whalley family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was

Richard Whalley (1499?-1583), an English politician, born about 1499, the only son and heir of Thomas Whalley of Kirkton, Nottinghamshire. "He was no doubt related to the Whalley of Screveton who was...
General Edward Whalley (c. 1607-c. 1675), was an English military leader during the English Civil War, one of the regicides who signed the death warrant of King Charles I of England. At the Restoratio...

Migration of the Whalley family to Ireland

Some of the Whalley family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt. More information about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Whalley migration to the United States +

To escape the political and religious persecution within England at the time, many English families left for the various British colonies abroad. The voyage was extremely difficult, though, and the cramped, dank ships caused many to arrive in the New World diseased and starving. But for those who made it, the trip was most often worth it. Many of the families who arrived went on to make valuable contributions to the emerging nations of Canada and the United States. An inquiry into the early roots of North American families reveals a number of immigrants bearing the name Whalley or a variant listed above:

Whalley Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

James Whalley, who landed in Maryland in 1658 4
Edward Whalley, who landed in New England in 1660 4
George Whalley, who arrived in Maryland in 1668 4
General Edward Whalley who settled in Massachusetts Bay, and died there in 1679
Oliver Whalley, who settled in Virginia in 1698

Whalley Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Christopher Whalley, aged 30, who arrived in St Louis, Missouri in 1845 4
Alfred Whalley, aged 26, who landed in America from Manchester, in 1895

Whalley Settlers in United States in the 20th Century

Alice Whalley, aged 40, who immigrated to America from Bolton, England, in 1907
Alfred Whalley, aged 48, who immigrated to the United States from Liverpool, England, in 1908
Albert Whalley, aged 45, who immigrated to the United States from Tramore, Ireland, in 1909
Anna Whalley, aged 44, who landed in America from Darwen, England, in 1913
Amelia Whalley, aged 50, who immigrated to the United States from Barxton, England, in 1914
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Whalley migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Whalley Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Mr. John Whalley, British Convict who was convicted in Guînes, Pas-de-Calais, France for life, transported aboard the "Canada" on 23rd April 1819, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 5
Mr. William Whalley who was convicted in Lancaster, Lancashire, England for life, transported aboard the "Camden" on 21st March 1831, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 6
Mr. Henry Whalley, British Convict who was convicted in Bolton, Lancashire, England for 10 years, transported aboard the "Asia" on 25th April 1840, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 7
Mr. Henry Whalley, British Convict who was convicted in Preston, Lancashire, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Asiatic" on 26th May 1843, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 8
Mr. Richard Whalley, British Convict who was convicted in Preston, Lancashire, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Asiatic" on 26th May 1843, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 8
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Whalley migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Whalley Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Mr. W. H. Whalley, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Velore" arriving in Dunedin, Otago, South Island, New Zealand on 8th August 1861 9
Miss Sarah Whalley, (b. 1844), aged 18, British domestic servant travelling from London aboard the ship 'Mermaid' arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 26th December 1862 10
Miss Mary Whalley, (b. 1861), aged 18, British settler travelling from Plymouth aboard the ship "Stad Haarlem" arriving in Lyttleton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 14th April 1879 9
G. Whalley, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "British Empire" in 1880 11
Charlotte Whalley, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "British Empire" in 1880 11
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Whalley (post 1700) +

J. Irving Whalley (1902-1980), Republican member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Pennsylvania
Purr Whalley, American Republican politician, Delegate to Republican National Convention from New Hampshire, 2004 12
John Irving Whalley (1902-1980), American Republican politician, Member of Pennsylvania State House of Representatives, 1951-55; Member of Pennsylvania State Senate 36th District, 1955-60 12
Shaun James Whalley (b. 1987), English footballer
Nigel Whalley (b. 1941), English bass player of The Quarrymen
Arthur Whalley (1886-1952), English football player
Edward Whalley (1607-1675), English military leader during the English Civil War, and was one of the regicides who signed the death warrant of King Charles I of England
David Whalley (b. 1959), American Professor in the Computer Science Department at Florida State University
Joan Agnes Whalley (1927-2021), Australian actress, teacher and artistic director of Twelfth Night Theatre in Bowen Hills, Brisbane, Australia from 1962 to 1976
Hampden Whalley (b. 1851), British politician and soldier
... (Another 2 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Historic Events for the Whalley family +

RMS Lusitania

Mr. Leslie Whalley, English Third Waiter from England, who worked aboard the RMS Lusitania (1915) and survived the sinking 13

The Whalley 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: Mirabile in profundis
Motto Translation: Wonderful in the Depths.

Citations +

Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
'Townships: Scarisbrick', in A History of the County of Lancaster: Volume 3, ed. William Farrer and J Brownbill (London, 1907), pp. 265-276. British History Online http://www.british-history.ac.uk/vch/lancs/vol3/pp265-276 [accessed 21 January 2017].
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)
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 9th December 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/canada
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 2nd December 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/camden
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 17th January 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/asia/1840
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 14th July 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/asiatic
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 26th March 2019). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 17th October 2018). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 12th November 2011). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2016, January 7) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
Lusitania Passenger List - The Lusitania Resource. (Retrieved 2014, March 7) . Retrieved from http://www.rmslusitania.info/lusitania-passenger-list/