Contents [hide]

Burley History Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables Ranking

Ireland United States Canada Australia New Zealand

Contemporary Notables Historic Events Related Stories Suggested Reading Citations

Burley History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland
Scotland

The ancestors of the Burley surname lived among the ancient Anglo-Saxon culture. The name comes from when they lived in the fort by the wood having derived from the Old English burhleah. 1

The name dates back to the Domesday Book of 1086 where Wihenoc de Burli was listed as holding lands in Norfolk. 2 Over one hundred years later, John de Burgeley was found in Hertfordshire in the Feet of Fines for 1198 and later, John of Burlay was registered in Warwickshire in the Assize Rolls in 1249. 3

Early Origins of the Burley family

The surname Burley was first found in Somerset where Burley Castle where a motte and bailey castle of the late 11th or early 12th century remains to this day. The village and civil parish Burley, or Burley-on-the-Hill, is located two miles north-east of Oakham in Rutland. Burleigh Castle is located near the village of Milnathort, in Perth and Kinross, Scotland and dates from the 15th and 16th centuries. It was held by the Balfours from 1446. Burleigh is also a village in Berkshire, England, within the civil parish of Warfield.

Some of the earliest records of the family include: John Burley (d. 1333), a Carmelite of Stamford; Walter Burley (or Burleigh), (c.1275-1344), a medieval English logician, Master of Arts at Oxford in 1301, and a fellow of Merton College, Oxford until 1305; and Sir Simon Burley (1336-1388), an early English warrior and favourite from a Herefordshire family. "His parentage is uncertain, but he appears to have been a younger brother rather than a son of the Sir John Burley who received the Garter at the accession of Richard II." 4 He was accused and sentenced for abuse of power by the parliament 5 May 1388 and sentenced to be hanged, drawn, and quartered, which was commuted by the king. He was summarily beheaded the same day. 4

Thomas de Burley (died c.1371) was an English-born monk who served as a Crown official and jurist. He held office twice as Lord Chancellor of Ireland.

Early History of the Burley family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Burley research. Another 191 words (14 lines of text) covering the years 1273, 1336, 1384, 1388, 1409, 1437, 1485 and 1510 are included under the topic Early Burley History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Burley Spelling Variations

Before English spelling was standardized a few hundred years ago, spelling variations of names were a common occurrence. Elements of Latin, French and other languages became incorporated into English through the Middle Ages, and name spellings changed even among the literate. The variations of the surname Burley include Burley, Burleigh, Burlie, Burrley, Burrlie, Burrleigh, Burly, Bourley, Bourleigh, Bourly, Berly and many more.

Early Notables of the Burley family

Distinguished members of the family include

William Burley, Speaker of the House of Commons of England in March 1437

Burley Ranking

In the United States, the name Burley is the 3,560^th most popular surname with an estimated 7,461 people with that name. 5

Migration of the Burley family to Ireland

Some of the Burley family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 46 words (3 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Burley migration to the United States +

A great wave of immigration to the New World was the result of the enormous political and religious disarray that struck England at that time. Families left for the New World in extremely large numbers. The long journey was the end of many immigrants and many more arrived sick and starving. Still, those who made it were rewarded with an opportunity far greater than they had known at home in England. These emigrant families went on to make significant contributions to these emerging colonies in which they settled. Some of the first North American settlers carried this name or one of its variants:

Burley Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Timothy Burley, who arrived in Virginia in 1622 6
Rodger Burley, aged 17, who landed in Virginia in 1635 aboard the ship "Assurance" 6
James Burley, who arrived in Maryland in 1665 6
Henry Burley, who landed in Maryland in 1665 6
John Burley, who landed in Maryland in 1670 6

Burley Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Hugh Burley, who landed in Virginia in 1705 6

Burley Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

C. Burley, who settled in Baltimore Maryland in 1820
Emanuel Burley, who landed in Colorado in 1883 6
Miss Alice Burley, (b. 1883), aged 9, Cornish settler, from St. Agnes, Cornwall, UK travelling aboard the ship "Servia" arriving at Ellis Island, New York on 21st November 1892 en route to New York, USA 7
Mrs. Annie Burley, (b. 1862), aged 30, Cornish settler, from St. Agnes, Cornwall, UK travelling aboard the ship "Servia" arriving at Ellis Island, New York on 21st November 1892 en route to New York, USA 7
Mr. Henry Burley, (b. 1857), aged 35, Cornish baker, from St. Agnes, Cornwall, UK travelling aboard the ship "Servia" arriving at Ellis Island, New York on 21st November 1892 en route to New York, USA 7
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Burley Settlers in United States in the 20th Century

Mr. James Nettle Burley, (b. 1870), aged 33, Cornish mariner, from Devoran, Cornwall, UK travelling aboard the ship "Umbria" arriving at Ellis Island, New York on 3rd May 1903 en route to New York, USA 7
Mr. William Burley, (b. 1877), aged 27, Cornish miner, from Gunnislake, Cornwall, UK travelling aboard the ship "Lucania" arriving at Ellis Island, New York on 15th October 1904 en route to Butte, Montana, USA 7

Burley migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Burley Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century

Fredk Burley, who landed in Nova Scotia in 1749
Fredk, Burley Jr., who arrived in Nova Scotia in 1749
Mr. Freeman Burley U.E. who settled in Ernestown, Lennox & Addington, Ontario c. 1783 8
Mr. John Burley U.E. who settled in Ernestown, Lennox & Addington, Ontario c. 1783 8

Burley Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century

Ezekiel Burley, who arrived in Canada in 1840

Burley migration to Australia +

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

Burley Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Robert Burley, who arrived in Holdfast Bay, Australia aboard the ship "Katherine Stewart Forbes" in 1837 9
Mr. William Burley, English convict who was convicted in Lincoln, Lincolnshire, England for 14 years, transported aboard the "Elphinstone" on 27th May 1837, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 10
Mr. Thomas Burley, (b. 1815), aged 23, English Soldier from London who was convicted in Cork, Ireland for 7 years for faculige, transported aboard the "Clyde" on 11th May 1838, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 11
Robert Burley, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Rajasthan" in 1838 12
Susannah Burley, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Rajasthan" in 1838 12
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Burley 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:

Burley Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Ms. Eliza Burley, (b. 1836), aged 28, Cornish dairy maid departing on 20th February 1864 aboard the ship "Ivanhoe" arriving in Lyttelton, Canterbury, New Zealand on 13th June 1864 13
Miss Eliza Burley, (b. 1836), aged 28, British settler travelling from Plymouth aboard the ship "Ivanhoe" arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 13th June 1864 14
George Burley, aged 27, a labourer, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Bebington" in 1872
Richard John Burley, aged 28, a coach builder, who arrived in Hawkes Bay aboard the ship "Countess of Kintore" in 1875
Ann Burley, aged 28, who arrived in Hawkes Bay aboard the ship "Countess of Kintore" in 1875

Contemporary Notables of the name Burley (post 1700) +

Scott Burley (b. 1986), American NFL football offensive lineman
Dan Burley (1907-1962), American pianist and journalist
Roger Burley (b. 1970), English cricketer
Dame Gillian Beer nee Burley (b. 1935), British literary critic, Professor of English Literature at Cambridge
Nichola Ann Burley (b. 1986), British actress from Leeds, West Yorkshire, known for Wuthering Heights (2011), Donkey Punch (2008) and Payback Season (2012)
Commander Malcolm Keith Burley (1927-2010), British mountaineer and Royal Navy officer
Joseph Leonard Burley (1878-1966), Australian founder of the Burley Football Company
Aidan Burley (b. 1979), British Conservative Party politician
Nancy Burley (b. 1930), Australian Olympic figure skater
William John Burley (1914-2002), British crime writer
... (Another 1 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Historic Events for the Burley family +

RMS Lusitania

Mr. Reuben Burley, English 2nd Class passenger residing in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, who sailed aboard the RMS Lusitania (1915) and died in the sinking 15
Master Reginald Burley, Canadian 2nd Class passenger from Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, who sailed aboard the RMS Lusitania (1915) and died in the sinking 15
Mrs. Florence Burley, English 2nd Class passenger residing in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, who sailed aboard the RMS Lusitania (1915) and died in the sinking 15
Miss Doris Florence Burley, Canadian 2nd Class passenger from Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, who sailed aboard the RMS Lusitania (1915) and died in the sinking 15

Citations +

Smith, Eldson Coles, New Dictionary of American Family Names New York: Harper & Row, 1956. Print
Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
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)
Cornwall Online Parish Clerks. (Retrieved 3rd May 2018). Retrieved from http://www.opc-cornwall.org/Resc/pdfs/emigration_ellis_island_1892_on.pdf
Rubincam, Milton. The Old United Empire Loyalists List. Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc, 1976. (Originally published as; United Empire Loyalists. The Centennial of the Settlement of Upper Canada. Rose Publishing Company, 1885.) ISBN 0-8063-0331-X
State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) KATHERINE STEWART FORBES 1837 arrived Holdfast Bay, near Adelaide, on October 17, 1837. . Retrieved from http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1837KatherineStewartForbes.htm
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 18th March 2022). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/elphinstone
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 24th February 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/clyde
State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) RAJASTHAN 1838. Retrieved from http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1838Rajasthan.htm
Cornwall Online Parish Clerks. (Retrieved 2018, April 30). Emigrants to Lyttelton 1858-84 [PDF]. Retrieved from http://www.opc-cornwall.org/Resc/pdfs/new_zealand_assisted.pdf
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 17th October 2018). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
Lusitania Passenger List - The Lusitania Resource. (Retrieved 2014, March 7) . Retrieved from http://www.rmslusitania.info/lusitania-passenger-list/