Chalkley History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

The saga of the name Chalkley follows a line reaching back through history to the days of the Anglo-Saxon tribes in Britain. It was a name for someone who worked as a whitewasher. Medieval buildings weren't painted, for paint was very expensive in the Middle Ages. Instead, they were whitewashed; covered in a paint-like emulsion of lime. It served to protect the houses against water, as well as look better. However, it didn't last very long; houses needed to be whitewashed at least twice a year, in the spring and fall. A "chalker" was a professional whitewasher; the name was originally derived from the Old English word cealcian, which meant "to whiten." 1

Alternatively, the name could have been a topographic name for "someone who lived on a patch of chalk soil." 1 And finally, another source presumes that the name was "well known earth; a locality. Chalk, Saxon, a servant or attendant." 2

Early Origins of the Chalkley family

The surname Chalkley was first found in Kent, in the parish of Chalk, in the union of North Aylesford, hundred of Shamwell where "this name is principally found, there is a parish and a hundred so designated, and there is also in county Wiltshire, a parish called Broad-Chalk." 3

More recently, Chalk is a suburb which adjoins the east of Gravesend, Kent. The place name is derived from the Old English word Cealc and was listed as Cealca 4 in the 10th century and as Celca 5 in the Domesday Book. "The church is very ancient, and has various figures carved over the entrance, the origin and meaning of which have caused much controversy." 6

The first record of the family was Walter de Chelka who was listed in the Pipe Rolls of Wiltshire in 1177. Ralph de Chalke was later found in Cheshire in 1268 and William atte Chalke was listed in the Subsidy Rolls of Sussex in 1296. 1

The Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 list William Choc in Shropshire. Kirby's Quest noted Reginald Chock in Somerset, 1 Edward III. 7 8

Early History of the Chalkley family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Chalkley research. Another 167 words (12 lines of text) covering the years 1600, 1624, 1675, 1683, 1741 and 1767 are included under the topic Early Chalkley History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Chalkley Spelling Variations

Before the last few hundred years, the English language had no fast system of spelling rules. For that reason, spelling variations are commonly found in early Anglo-Saxon surnames. Over the years, many variations of the name Chalkley were recorded, including Chalk, Chaulk, Chaulke, Chaulkey, Chalke, Chalker, Chalkley, Caulk, Caulke, Kalke and many more.

Early Notables of the Chalkley family

Notables of the family at this time include

Thomas Chalkley (1675-1741), English Quaker, was the son of George Chalkley, a Quaker tradesman in Southwark, was sent to a day school when nine years old. "Chalkley was fond of gambling till, when he...

Chalkley migration to the United States +

To escape oppression and starvation at that time, many English families left for the "open frontiers" of the New World with all its perceived opportunities. In droves people migrated to the many British colonies, those in North America in particular, paying high rates for passages in cramped, unsafe ships. Although many of the settlers did not make the long passage alive, those who did see the shores of North America perceived great opportunities before them. Many of the families that came from England went on to make essential contributions to the emerging nations of Canada and the United States. Research into various historical records revealed some of first members of the Chalkley family emigrate to North America:

Chalkley Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Tho Chalkley, who landed in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1709-1710 9
Thomas Chalkley, who arrived in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1709-1710 9
Ann Chalkley, who arrived in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1715 9
Thomas Chalkley, who immigrated to New England in 1735

Chalkley migration to Australia +

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

Chalkley Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Mr. William Chalkley, English convict who was convicted in Hertford, Hertfordshire, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Barossa" on 9th May 1844, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 10
Mr. James Chalkley, English convict who was convicted in Hertford, Hertfordshire, England for 10 years, transported aboard the "Equestrian" on 27th August 1852, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Island) 11

Contemporary Notables of the name Chalkley (post 1700) +

Lucy Chalkley, American actress, known for Jinx (2007), The Other Half (2007) and Confetti (2006)
Mrs. H. G. Chalkley, American sponsor of the USS Fiske (DE-143), an Edsall-class destroyer escort during World War II
John W. Chalkley, American Democratic Party politician, Presidential Elector for Virginia, 1920 12
Dominique Provost- Chalkley, English actress, known for her work in Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015), Wynonna Earp (2016) and The Seasoning House (2012)
George Chalkley (b. 1883), English association footballer for West Ham United (1908-1909)
Frederick Chalkley (b. 1875), English association footballer for Thames Ironworks in August 1896
Alfred Chalkley (b. 1904), English association footballer who played for West Ham United (1931-1937), member of the England Boys National Team in 1917
Dean Chalkley (b. 1968), British photographer
Thomas Chalkley Coffin (1887-1934), American Democratic Party politician, Mayor of Pocatello, Idaho, 1931-33; U.S. Representative from Idaho 2nd District, 1933-34 13
Chalkley McArtor "Chalk" Beeson (1848-1912), American businessman, lawman, and cattleman, known for his ownership of the famous Long Branch Saloon in Dodge City, Kansas

Citations +

Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
Arthur, William , An Etymological Dictionary of Family and Christian Names. London: 1857. Print
Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
Dickinson, F.H., Kirby's Quest for Somerset of 16th of Edward the 3rd London: Harrison and Sons, Printers in Ordinary to Her Majesty, St, Martin's Lane, 1889. Print.
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)
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 24th September 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/barossa
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 16th May 2022). https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/equestrian
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, October 9) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, October 22) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html