Audless History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

The history of the Audless family goes back to the ancient Anglo-Saxon culture of Britain. It is derived from the family living in the village of Audley in Staffordshire.

Early Origins of the Audless family

The surname Audless was first found in Staffordshire, where they the name dates back to the Roll of Battel Abbey which lists the name Audeley whose family originated at "Verdon, whose chief seat was at Alton Castle, in the northern part of Staffordshire. In the immediately succeeding reigns few families held a more conspicuous place in history, but its most distinguished member was the renowned James de Audley, Lord Audley, the hero of Poictiers." 1

"[Audley, Staffordshire] was originally given by Hervey de Stafford to the barons of Aldeleigh, or Audley, who erected the baronial residence of Heyley Castle, commanding an extensive range of the surrounding country." 2

One of the earliest records of the family was Henry de Audley (1175-1246), the English Royalist Baron, son of Adam de Alditheley, who held Alditheley, Staffordshire from the Verdons in 1186. He was Sheriff of Shropshire and Staffordshire 1227 and 1229. His son was James de Audley (1220-1272), another English Baron. Nicholas Audley, 1st Baron Audley of Heighley Castle, Staffordshire (1289-1316), was an English peer. His only surviving son was Nicholas Audley, 3rd Baron Audley (c.1328- 1391), born in Heighley Castle, Staffordshire, he was later known as Lord of Rougemont. Through marriage he was granted the Lordship of the Isle of Man in 1310 and his descendants would later become King of Mann. 3

Sir James Audley (or Audeley) KG (c. 1318-1369) was one of the founders of the Order of the Garter. He was the eldest son of Sir James Audley of Stratton Audley in Oxfordshire.

All of the above claim a common heritage from the aforementioned Henry de Audley (died 1246) as all share a similar Coats of Arms but with variations to depict their distinctive branch.

Early History of the Audless family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Audless research. Another 279 words (20 lines of text) covering the years 1086, 1185, 1289, 1312, 1316, 1369, 1377, 1488, 1523, 1524, 1529, 1533, 1535, 1536, 1544, 1577, 1620, 1662, 1674 and 1780 are included under the topic Early Audless History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Audless Spelling Variations

Until quite recently, the English language has lacked a definite system of spelling rules. Consequently, Anglo-Saxon surnames are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. Changes in Anglo-Saxon names were influenced by the evolution of the English language, as it incorporated elements of French, Latin, and other languages. Although Medieval scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded, so it is common to find one person referred to by several different spellings of his surname, even the most literate people varied the spelling of their own names. Variations of the name Audless include Audeley, Audley, Audeleye, Awdelye, Audeleygh, Aldeoalega, Audsley, Audless and many more.

Early Notables of the Audless family

Distinguished members of the family include Edmund Audley (d. 1524), English divine, Bishop of Rochester, the son of James, Lord Audley, by Eleanor his wife. Hugh Audley (1577-1662), also known as The Great Audley, was an English moneylender, lawyer and philosopher. Thomas Audley (1488-1544), was a Baron seated at Walden in Essex, who became Lord Chancellor of England. He entered Parliament in 1523 and was Speaker of the...
Another 67 words (5 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Audless Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Audless family to Ireland

Some of the Audless family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 68 words (5 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Audless migration to the United States +

Searching for a better life, many English families migrated to British colonies. Unfortunately, the majority of them traveled under extremely harsh conditions: overcrowding on the ships caused the majority of the immigrants to arrive diseased, famished, and destitute from the long journey across the ocean. For those families that arrived safely, modest prosperity was attainable, and many went on to make invaluable contributions to the development of the cultures of the new colonies. Research into the origins of individual families in North America revealed records of the immigration of a number of people bearing the name Audless or a variant listed above:

Audless Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Margaret Audless, who sailed to America in 1746

Citations +

Burke, John Bernard, The Roll of Battle Abbey. London: Edward Churton, 26, Holles Street, 1848, Print.
Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print