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The story of the Gellay family stretches back through time to the Viking settlers who populated the rugged shores of Scotland in the Medieval era. The name Gellay was derived from Giles. "In the Scottish dialect jelly means worthy, upright." 1
The surname Gellay was first found in Ayrshire where early record show Thomas Jelle held a tenement in 1518. Later, William Jellie is recorded in Cruikens, parish of Carnwath, 1673 and Andrew Jellie and his wife were residents in the parish of Borgue, 1684. 2
Further to the south in England, we found Thomas Jely listed in Essex in 1472; Robert Jely in the Subsidy Rolls for Suffolk in 1524 and John Jelleye and Richard Gellye in Surrey in 1583. 3
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Gellay research. Another 153 words (11 lines of text) covering the years 1500, 1592, 1593, 1621, 1663, 1665 and 1673 are included under the topic Early Gellay History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Standards used to judge the accuracy of spellings and translations did not yet exist in the Middle Ages. Spelling variations in names dating from that era, are thus, an extremely common occurrence. Gellay has been recorded as Jelly, Jellie, Jelley and others.
More information is included under the topic Early Gellay Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
The New World was far from the oppressive regime of the old country. It was a place where there was more land than people and political and religious freedom were far easier to come by. Many Scots even got the chance to fight for their freedom in the American War of Independence. In recent years, interest in this heritage has been generated by Clan societies and regular highland games in North America. An examination of early immigration and passenger lists has revealed many people bearing the Gellay name: Hugh Jelly settled in Philadelphia in 1804; James Jelly settled in New York in 1823; Thomas Jelly, his wife Mary, and son Richard and his servants, settled in Barbados in 1678.