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Stonelech is a name of ancient Anglo-Saxon origin and comes from the family once having lived in the county of Cumberland in an area that was defined by the Old English word stanley which means astony clearing or stony field. Stonelech is a topographic surname, which was given to a person who resided near a physical feature such as a hill, stream, church, or type of tree. During the Middle Ages, as society became more complex, individuals needed a way to be distinguishable from others. Toponymic surnames were developed as a result of this need. Various features in the landscape or area were used to distinguish people from one another. In this case the original bearers of the surname Stonelech were named due to their close proximity to the stanley.
The surname Stonelech was first found in Cambridgeshire at Stonely (Stoneley), a hamlet near Kimbolton and home to Stoneley Priory which was established in 1180 and dissolved in 1536.
By the time of the Conquest, there were several listings of the name in the Domesday Book 1 including: Stanlei in Derbyshire and West Yorkshire; Stanlee in Gloucestershire; and Stanlei (now Stoneleigh) in Warwickshire. The place name literally means "stony wood clearing." 2
"Descended from a younger branch of the Barons Audeley, of Audeley in Staffordshire, the name of Stanley, from the manor of that name in this county, in the reign of John, was assumed by William de Audleigh." 3
Another branch of the family was established in very early times in Hornby, Lancashire. "The castle was originally founded soon after the Norman Conquest, and was subsequently the residence of the Stanleys, lords Monteagle, to one of whom the mysterious letter was sent which led to the discovery of the Gunpowder plot." 4
Later "the Stanleys of Alderley, and the Stanleys of Hooton, [became] the sole owners of the township [of Great Meolse, Cheshire.]" 4
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Stonelech research. Another 223 words (16 lines of text) covering the years 1100, 1350, 1414, 1435, 1442, 1460, 1485, 1503, 1504, 1506, 1531, 1566, 1586, 1593, 1597, 1599, 1625, 1628, 1655, 1660, 1664, 1670, 1672, 1678, 1695, 1698, 1702, 1714 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Stonelech 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 Stonelech family name include Stanley, Standley, Stanleigh, Stoneley and others.
Notables of this surname at this time include: Sir John Stanley K.G. (c.1350-1414), Lord Lieutenant of Ireland and titular King of Mann; Sir Thomas Stanley (c.1435-1504), created 1st Earl of Derby in 1485; George Stanley, 9th Baron Strange, of Knockyn, KG, KB (1460-1503), an English nobleman and heir apparent of Thomas Stanley, 1st Earl of Derby; Sir John Stanley, illegitimate son of James Stanley, Bishop of Ely, in 1506; Sir Thomas Stanley (1597-1672), created 1st Baronet Stanley of Alderley Hall in 1660; Henry Stanley, 4th Earl of Derby KG (1531-1593)...
Another 89 words (6 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Stonelech Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Another 62 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 political, religious, and economic reasons, thousands of English families boarded ships for Ireland, Canada, 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 Stonelech surname or a spelling variation of the name include: Christopher Stanley and his wife Susanne, who settled in Boston Mass in 1635; George and Alice Stanley settled in Virginia in 1656; Joseph and his wife Elizabeth Stanley settled in Georgia in 1732.