Gatley History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:

Scotland

Family Crest Download (JPG) Heritage Series - 600 DPI

(224)

An ancient Pictish-Scottish family was the first to use the name Gatley. It is a name for someone who lived in some place which is now obscure. The surname Gatley belongs to the category of habitation names, which are derived from pre-existing names for towns, villages, parishes, or farmsteads. 1

Other sources claim the name is "a nickname for messenger, runner, 2 or "a messenger or runner [who] was fleet of foot." 3

Early Origins of the Gatley family

The surname Gatley was first found in Perthshire (Gaelic: Siorrachd Pheairt) former county in the present day Council Area of Perth and Kinross, located in central Scotland, where they held a family seat from very ancient times, some say well before the Norman Conquest and the arrival of Duke William at Hastings in 1066 A.D.

Early History of the Gatley family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Gatley research. Another 79 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1291, 1296, 1745, 1762, 1784 and 1789 are included under the topic Early Gatley History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Gatley Spelling Variations

During the Middle Ages, there was no basic set of rules and scribes wrote according to sound. The correct spelling of Scottish names were further compromised after many haphazard translations from Gaelic to English and back. Spelling variations of the name Gatley include Galletly, Gallightly, Gellatly, Gellately, Gillatly, Golightly and many more.

Early Notables of the Gatley family

Notable amongst the Clan at this time was Anne Catleyborn, born in 1745 in an alley near "Tower Hill, London of very humble parents, her father being a hackney coachman, and her mother a washerwoman. Endowed with great personal beauty, a charming voice, and a natural talent for singing, she gained her living at the early age of 10 years by singing in the public houses in the neighbourhood, and also for the diversion of the officers quartered in the Tower. When about 15 years of age she was...
Another 88 words (6 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Gatley Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Gatley migration to Canada +

Scots left their country by the thousands to travel to Australia and North America. Desperate for freedom and an opportunity to fend for themselves, many paid huge fees and suffered under terrible conditions on long voyages. Still, for those who made the trip, freedom and opportunity awaited. In North America, many fought their old English oppressors in the American War of Independence. In recent years, Scottish heritage has been an increasingly important topic, as Clan societies and other organizations have renewed people's interest in their history. An examination of passenger and immigration lists shows many early settlers bearing the name of Gatley:

Gatley Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century

Honor Gatley, aged 20, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick in 1834 aboard the brig "Trafalgar" from Galway, Ireland

Gatley migration to Australia +

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

Gatley Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Mr. John Gatley, British convict who was convicted in Warwick, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Asia" on 29th September 1831, settling in New South Wales, Australia 4
Mr. Charles Gatley, (b. 1831), aged 22, Cornish agricultural labourer departing from Soton on 9th May 1853 aboard the ship "Lady Kennaway" arriving in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia on 15th August 1853 5
Mrs. Jane Gatley, (b. 1831), aged 22, Cornish settler departing from Soton on 9th May 1853 aboard the ship "Lady Kennaway" arriving in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia on 15th August 1853 5
Mr. Richard Gatley, (b. 1819), aged 36, Cornish agricultural labourer, from Truro, Cornwall, UK travelling aboard the ship "Gloriana" arriving in New South Wales, Australia on 27th July 1855 6
Mrs. Elizabeth Gatley, (b. 1821), aged 34, Cornish settler, from Mawnan, Cornwall, UK travelling aboard the ship "Gloriana" arriving in New South Wales, Australia on 27th July 1855 6
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Gatley 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:

Gatley Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Charles Gatley, aged 22, who arrived in Port Nicholson aboard the ship "Oriental" in 1840
Ann Gatley, aged 23, who arrived in Port Nicholson aboard the ship "Oriental" in 1840
Mr. Charles Gatley, (b. 1817), aged 22, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Oriental" arriving in Port Nicholson, Wellington, New Zealand on 31st January 1840 7
Mrs. Gatley, (b. 1816), aged 23, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Oriental" arriving in Port Nicholson, Wellington, New Zealand on 31st January 1840 7

Contemporary Notables of the name Gatley (post 1700) +

Ian K. Gatley (1931-2013), Canadian-born American professor of art and architecture, he designed and built his home, also known for his illustration work in Sunday Afternoon: Grande Ronde by George Venn (1975), The Skyligh Gallery exhibited his drawings and prints in 1975
George Grant Gatley (1868-1931), American career officer in the United States Army who attained the rank of brigadier general, and his World War I commands included the 30th and 42nd Infantry Divisions
Ian Gatley, the American Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs of New Jersey Institute of Technology
Lyle Gatley (b. 1945), Canadian rower who competed in the men's coxless pair event at the 1968 Summer Olympics
Alfred Gatley (1816-1863), English sculptor, born at Kerridge, Cheshire; while still a child he learned the use of a stonemason's tools from his father, who owned and worked two quarries in the Kerridge Hills 8

The Gatley 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: Hactenus invictus
Motto Translation: Hitherto unconquered.