Bodley History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
Cornwall, one of the original six "Celtic nations" is the homeland to the surname Bodley. A revival of the Cornish language which began in the 9th century AD has begun. No doubt this was the language spoken by distant forebears of the Bodley family. Though surnames became common during medieval times, English people were formerly known only by a single name. The way in which hereditary surnames were adopted in medieval England is fascinating. Many Cornish surnames appear to be topographic surnames, which were given to people who resided near physical features such as hills, streams, churches, or types of trees, many are actually habitation surnames. The name Bodley is a local type of surname and the Bodley family lived at Bodley, the name of which is derived from the Old English personal name Budda, and the Old English word leigh, meaning clearing. The name indicates that the area once belonged to someone name Budda. Alternatively the name could have been derived from "the house on the lea; from Bod, a house, and ley." 1
Early Origins of the Bodley family
The surname Bodley was first found in Devon, at Bodley, a small village, north of Parracombe or at Bodilly, a hamlet in south Cornwall.
"This surname is derived from a geographical locality. 'of Budleigh.' Two parishes in the Diocese of Exeter, in which district Bodilly is well known, and whence Sir Thomas Bodley, (1545-1613) the founder of the Bodleian Library, sprung. His father was a Bodleigh, 'descended from an ancient family of Bodleigh, or Budleigh, of Dunscombe-by-Crediton" 2
Some of the first records of the family include: Hamelin de Bodlei who was listed in the Pipe Rolls of Devon in 1196; Roger de Bodele who was listed in the Feet of Fines for Oxfordshire in 1269; and later, Emma Bodely who was listed in the Feet of Fines for Surrey (1457-1458.) 3
The Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 list John de Bodel in Cambridgeshire and the Placita de Quo Warranto, temp. Edward I-III list William de Bodele in London and Dennis de Buddelegh in Devon.
Early History of the Bodley family
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Bodley research. Another 34 words (2 lines of text) covering the years 1521, 1545, 1550, 1600, 1613, 1615 and 1618 are included under the topic Early Bodley History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Bodley Spelling Variations
Cornish surnames are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. The frequent changes in surnames are due to the fact that the Old and Middle English languages lacked definite spelling rules. The official court languages, which were Latin and French, were also influential on the spelling of a surname. Since the spelling of surnames was rarely consistent in medieval times, and 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 of their surname in the ancient chronicles. Moreover, a large number of foreign names were brought into England, which accelerated and accentuated the alterations to the spelling of various surnames. Lastly, spelling variations often resulted from the linguistic differences between the people of Cornwall and the rest of England. The Cornish spoke a unique Brythonic Celtic language which was first recorded in written documents during the 10th century. However, they became increasingly Anglicized, and Cornish became extinct as a spoken language in 1777, although it has been revived by Cornish patriots in the modern era. The name has been spelled Bodley, Bodlegh, Bodleigh, Bodly, Bodlie, Bodilies and many more.
Early Notables of the Bodley family
Notable amongst the family at this time was
- Sir Thomas Bodley (1545-1613), an English diplomat and scholar, founder of the Bodleian Library, Oxford. The library is home to the Codex Bodley, an important pictographic Mixtec historiography which...
- Sir Josias Bodley (1550?-1618), was an English soldier and military engineer, the fifth and youngest son of John Bodley of Exeter. 4
Migration of the Bodley family to Ireland
Some of the Bodley 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.
Bodley migration to the United States +
Amongst the settlers in North America with this distinguished name Bodley were
Bodley Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
- John and Samuel Bodley, who settled in Charles Town [Charleston], South Carolina in 1766
Bodley Settlers in United States in the 20th Century
- Frances Bodley, aged 28, who arrived in New York in 1919 aboard the ship "Kaiserin Augusta Victoria" from Brest, France 5
- Charles Bodley, aged 56, who arrived in New York in 1921 aboard the ship "Maraval" from Trinidad, British West Indies 5
- Horace Bodley, aged 28, originally from London, England, who arrived in New York, NY in 1921 from London, England 5
Bodley 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:
Bodley Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century
- Mr. W. Bodley, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Queen of the Deep" arriving in Auckland, New Zealand on 14th June 1854 6
- Mr. Henry Bodley, (b. 1855), aged 19, English labourer from Buckinghamshire travelling from London aboard the ship "Tweed" arriving in Port Chalmers, Dunedin, Otago, South Island, New Zealand on 4th September 1874 6
Contemporary Notables of the name Bodley (post 1700) +
- Rachel Littler Bodley (1831-1888), American professor and academic, Dean of the Women's Medical College of Pennsylvania (1874–1888)
- Rev. W H Bodley, English Roman Catholic preacher and a professor at St Mary’s College, New Oscott, Birmingham
- George Frederick Bodley (1827-1907), English architect working in the Gothic revival style
- Seóirse Bodley (1933-2023), Irish composer and associate professor of music at University College Dublin
- Seóirse Bodley (b. 1933), Irish composer, former associate professor of music at University College Dublin
- Colonel Ronald Victor Courtenay Bodley MC (1892-1970), British Army officer, author and journalist
- Robert Bodley (1878-1956), South African silver medalist rifle shooter at the 1920 Summer Olympics
- John Edward Courtenay Bodley (1853-1925), British civil servant and historian
Citations +
- Arthur, William , An Etymological Dictionary of Family and Christian Names. London: 1857. Print
- Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
- Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
- Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print
- Ellis Island Search retrieved 15th November 2022. Retrieved from https://heritage.statueofliberty.org/passenger-result
- New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 26th March 2019). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html