Clesbey History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

The ancestors of the Clesbey family brought their name to England in the wave of migration after the Norman Conquest of 1066. They lived in the North Riding of Yorkshire at Cleasby, a parish in the union of Darlington, wapentake of Gilling-East. 1 2

Early Origins of the Clesbey family

The surname Clesbey was first found in Yorkshire where the village of Cleasby (sometimes Clesby) in the North Riding of Yorkshire was held by Enisan, a Norman noble, who is the conjectural ancestor of the Cleasby surname. 3 4

The first reference for the family was found in the Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379 as Johannes de Clesbe. 5

Early History of the Clesbey family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Clesbey research. Another 100 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1086, 1202, 1273, 1300, 1379, 1416, 1587 and 1784 are included under the topic Early Clesbey History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Clesbey Spelling Variations

Before the last few hundred years the English language had no fixed system of spelling rules. For that reason, spelling variations occurred commonly in Anglo Norman surnames. Over the years, many variations of the name Clesbey were recorded, including Clesby, Cleasby, Clisby, Clisbee, Clesbie, Clesebi, Cleseby, Clesby, Clesbe and many more.

Early Notables of the Clesbey family

More information is included under the topic Early Clesbey Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Clesbey family

The unstable environment in England at this time caused numerous families to board ships and leave in search of opportunity and freedom from persecution abroad in places like Ireland, Australia, and particularly the New World. The voyage was extremely difficult, however, and only taken at great expense. The cramped conditions and unsanitary nature of the vessels caused many to arrive diseased and starving, not to mention destitute from the enormous cost. Still opportunity in the emerging nations of Canada and the United States was far greater than at home and many went on to make important contributions to the cultures of their adopted countries. An examination of many early immigration records reveals that people bearing the name Clesbey arrived in North America very early: William Clisby who arrived in America in 1768.

Citations +

Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
Harrison, Henry, Surnames of the United Kingdom: A Concise Etymological Dictionary Baltimore: Geneological Publishing Company, 2013. Print
Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. 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)