Today's generation of the Cordrey family bears a name that was brought to
England by the migration wave that was started by the
Norman Conquest of 1066. The Cordrey family lived in Berkshire. The name, however, refers to the area of Cordray, in Eure,
Normandy, where the family lived prior to the
Norman Conquest of
England in 1066.
Early Origins of the Cordrey family
The surname Cordrey was first found in Berkshire, where they held a
family seat from very early times and were granted lands by Duke William of
Normandy, their liege Lord, for their distinguished assistance at the Battle of Hastings in 1066 A.D.
Early History of the Cordrey family
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Cordrey research.
Another 137 words (10 lines of text) covering the years 1588 and 1664 are included under the topic Early Cordrey History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Cordrey Spelling Variations
Before English spelling was standardized a few
hundred years ago,
spelling variations of names were a common occurrence. Elements of Latin, Norman French and other languages became incorporated into English throughout the Middle Ages, and name spellings changed even among the literate. The variations of the surname Cordrey include Cowdrey, Cowdray, Cowderey, Cowderoy, Corderoy, Cordroy, Cowdroy, Cowdry, Cowdery and many more.
Early Notables of the Cordrey family (pre 1700)
Another 23 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Cordrey Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Migration of the Cordrey family to the New World and Oceana
In
England at this time, the uncertainty of the political and religious environment of the time caused many families to board ships for distant British colonies in the hopes of finding land and opportunity, and escaping persecution. The voyages were expensive, crowded, and difficult, though, and many arrived in North America sick, starved, and destitute. Those who did make it, however, were greeted with greater opportunities and freedoms that they could have experienced at home. Many of those families went on to make important contributions to the young nations in which they settled. Early immigration records have shown some of the first Cordreys to arrive on North American shores:
Cordrey Settlers in United States in the 20th Century
- Thomas H. Cordrey, aged 45, originally from Bootle, who arrived in New York in 1919 aboard the ship "Royal George" from Liverpool, England [1]CITATION[CLOSE]
"New York Passenger Arrival Lists (Ellis Island), 1892-1924," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:J6QK-F6T : 6 December 2014), Thos H. Cordrey, 23 Feb 1919; citing departure port Liverpool, arrival port New York, ship name Royal George, NARA microfilm publication T715 and M237 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.).
Cordrey Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century
- George Cordrey, aged 23, who arrived in Lyttelton, New Zealand aboard the ship "Ballochmyle" in 1874