Show ContentsBaggerley History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The ancient history of the Baggerley name begins with the ancient Anglo-Saxon tribes of Britain. The name is derived from when the family resided in Cheshire, where they were held estates at Baggiley. The family name was originally derived from the name of this manorial seat. The word baggiley in ancient Saxon means high ground. These place names are generally thought to derive from an Old English personal name Bacga and the Old English word leah, meaning a clearing in the woods.

Early Origins of the Baggerley family

The surname Baggerley was first found in Shropshire at Bagley, a small rural village in the parish of Hordley. The earliest record of the place name was found in c.1090 when it was listed as Bageleia. [1]

Bagley-Wood is a hamlet in the hundred of Hormer, in Berkshire. "A monastery was founded here by Cissa, viceroy of Centwine, ninth king of Wessex; which was removed to Abingdon in 680, that town and its appendages having been assigned to it by Ceadwalla. " [2]

While the surname probably originated in Shropshire, we must look to Cheshire to find the earliest records. The family was Lords of the Manor of Baggiley and held a family seat there from ancient times. Baguley Hall near Manchester was built in the 14th century by Sir William de Baguley, or possibly by one of his sons. It may have replaced an 11th or 12th century structure. "[Baguley in Cheshire] was at an early period the property of the Baguleys, whose heiress brought it to the Leghs; the latter sold it." [2]

Early History of the Baggerley family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Baggerley research. Another 164 words (12 lines of text) covering the years 1220, 1260, 1327, 1379, 1382, 1654 and 1674 are included under the topic Early Baggerley History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Baggerley 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 Baggerley include Bagley, Baggeley, Baggiley, Baggaley, Bageley, Baggelay, Bagly and many more.

Early Notables of the Baggerley family

Distinguished members of the family include

  • Humphrey Baggerley (fl. 1654), was a Royalist captain in the service of James, the seventh earl of Derby. "In 1654 Captain Baggerley was imprisoned in London for taking part in what was called Gerard'...

Ireland Migration of the Baggerley family to Ireland

Some of the Baggerley family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 38 words (3 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.


United States Baggerley 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 Baggerley or a variant listed above:

Baggerley Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
  • Richard Baggerley, who landed in Virginia in 1715 [3]

Australia Baggerley migration to Australia +

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

Baggerley Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
  • Mr. Thomas Baggerley, English convict who was convicted in Kingston upon Thames (Kingston, Surrey), London, England for 10 years, transported aboard the "Belgravia" on 4th April 1866, arriving in Western Australia [4]

New Zealand Baggerley 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:

Baggerley Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century
  • James Baggerley, aged 27, a plumber, who arrived in Nelson, New Zealand aboard the ship "Mary Ann" in 1842
  • Louiza Maria Baggerley, aged 26, who arrived in Nelson, New Zealand aboard the ship "Mary Ann" in 1842

Contemporary Notables of the name Baggerley (post 1700) +

  • Jobyna Dee Baggerley (b. 1926), American Republican politician, Member of Oklahoma Republican State Committee, 1971; Delegate to Republican National Convention from Oklahoma, 1972


  1. Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
  2. Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
  3. 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)
  4. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 30th September 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/belgravia


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