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The roots of the Anglo-Saxon name Barcley come from when the family resided in the parish of Berkeley in the county of Gloucestershire.
"This place, according to Sir Robert Atkyns, the historian of Gloucestershire, derives its name from the Saxon Beorc, a birch-tree, and Leas, a pasture; whence it has been inferred that the parish was formerly remarkable for the growth of birch-trees. It was always a place of considerable importance; and at a very early period it gave name to the great manor of Berkeley, which during the heptarchy was held of the crown, at £500. 17. 2. per annum, by Roger de Berkeley, a near relative of Edward the Confessor, and lord of Dursley, from whom the earliest authentic pedigree of the Berkeley family is deduced. Berkeley, notwithstanding the residence of the oldest branches of the family in their castle at Dursley. William the Conqueror, professing high regard for all the relatives of Edward the Confessor, granted the manor of Berkeley to Roger Berkeley, of Dursley, by whose descendants it was held till the reign of Henry II." 1
The surname Barcley was first found in Gloucestershire, where "this noble race descend from Thos, de Berkely, Lord of Berkeley castle, co. Gloucester, temp. Edward I., and fifth in lineal succession from Harding, a Dane of royal blood, and one of the companions of William the Conqueror. " 2
The Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 included Egidius de Berkeleye, Oxfordshire; Seman de Berclawe, Cambridgeshire; and Maurice de Berkelay, Somerset. 3
Henry de Barcley and Helewys' de Berkele were listed in the Subsidy Rolls of Sussex in 1327. 4
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Barcley research. Another 135 words (10 lines of text) covering the years 1306, 1400, 1475, 1509, 1552, 1598, 1648, 1690, 1890 and 1924 are included under the topic Early Barcley History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
The English language only became standardized in the last few centuries; therefore,spelling variations are common among early Anglo-Saxon names. As the form of the English language changed, even the spelling of literate people's names evolved. Barcley has been recorded under many different variations, including Barclay, Berkeley, Barcley, Berkely, Berkley and others.
Another 34 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Barcley Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Another 57 words (4 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
For many English families, the political and religious disarray that shrouded England made the far away New World an attractive prospect. On cramped disease-ridden ships, thousands migrated to those British colonies that would eventually become Canada and the United States. Those hardy settlers that survived the journey often went on to make important contributions to the emerging nations in which they landed. Analysis of immigration records indicates that some of the first North American immigrants bore the name Barcley or a variant listed above: