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| Origins Available: |
| | England |
The surname Astberay was first found in Cheshire at Astbury, a parish, chiefly in the union of Congleton, consisting of the townships of Eaton and Somerford-Booths in the hundred of Macclesfield. 1
This parish dates back to 1093 (shortly after the Norman Conquest in 1066) when it was known as Astbury and literally meant "east manor or stronghold." 2 However, another source claims the parish meant "east castle or fort." 3
Early rolls show that William de Astbury was listed here in Cheshire in the Assize Rolls of 1287. 4
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Astberay research. Another 60 words (4 lines of text) covering the years 1455, 1487, 1688, 1690, 1720 and 1743 are included under the topic Early Astberay History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Sound was what guided spelling in the essentially pre-literate Middle Ages, so one person's name was often recorded under several variations during a single lifetime. Also, before the advent of the printing press and the first dictionaries, the English language was not standardized. Therefore, spelling variations were common, even among the names of the most literate people. Known variations of the Astberay family name include Astbury, Astbry, Astbrey, Asprey, Aspry, Astbray, Astburie and many more.
Distinguished members of the family include John Astbury (1688-1743), an English potter credited with innovations and improvements in earthenware associated with Staffordshire figures. He "introduced himself disguised as an idiot to the wworks of two brothers named Elers, of Nürnberg, who had settled at Bradwell, Staffordshire, about 1690. He discovered the secrets of their manufacture of red ware, and, obtaining his discharge on pretence of sickness, set up a rival establishment at Shelton...
Another 72 words (5 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Astberay Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
For political, religious, and economic reasons, thousands of English families boarded ships for Ireland, the Canadas, the America colonies, and many of smaller tropical colonies in the hope of finding better lives abroad. Although the passage on the cramped, dank ships caused many to arrive in the New World diseased and starving, those families that survived the trip often went on to make valuable contributions to those new societies to which they arrived. Early immigrants bearing the Astberay surname or a spelling variation of the name include : Henry Aspray, who settled in Virginia in 1666; Thomas W. Astbury, who was naturalized in Philadelphia in 1877; and John and Edward Catherton Astbury, who were recorded in Sacramento County, California between 1866 and 1871..