Show ContentsAudly History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The lineage of the name Audly begins with the Anglo-Saxon tribes in Britain. It is a result of when they lived in the village of Audley in Staffordshire.

Early Origins of the Audly family

The surname Audly 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 Audly family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Audly 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 Audly History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Audly Spelling Variations

Only recently has spelling become standardized in the English language. As the English language evolved in the Middle Ages, the spelling of names changed also. The name Audly has undergone many spelling variations, including Audeley, Audley, Audeleye, Awdelye, Audeleygh, Aldeoalega, Audsley, Audless and many more.

Early Notables of the Audly 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 Audly Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Ireland Migration of the Audly family to Ireland

Some of the Audly 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.


United States Audly migration to the United States +

To escape the unstable social climate in England of this time, many families boarded ships for the New World with the hope of finding land, opportunity, and greater religious and political freedom. Although the voyages were expensive, crowded, and difficult, those families that arrived often found greater opportunities and freedoms than they could have experienced at home. Many of those families went on to make significant contributions to the rapidly developing colonies in which they settled. Early North American records indicate many people bearing the name Audly were among those contributors:

Audly Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
  • Edmund Audly, who arrived in Salem, Massachusetts in 1636 4

Contemporary Notables of the name Audly (post 1700) +

  • Audly L. Osborne, American politician, Member of Mississippi territorial House of Representatives, 1809 5


  1. Burke, John Bernard, The Roll of Battle Abbey. London: Edward Churton, 26, Holles Street, 1848, Print.
  2. Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
  3. Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print
  4. Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
  5. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2016, February 25) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html


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