Curless History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

The earliest origins of the Curless surname date from the ancient Anglo-Saxon culture of Britain. Their name reveals that an early member was a person who was believed to be free from care or unconcerned. The nickname is derived from the Old English word carleas, which referred to a "cheerful, merry" person. 1

One source claims that the name is a derivation of "Carlos, or its original, Carolus," 2 and we shall see later, Carlos was indeed still used by some people as late as the 17th century.

Early Origins of the Curless family

The surname Curless was first found in Gloucestershire, but some of the family were found in Lancashire at Welsh Whittle in early times. "In that of Edward III., Sir William Careles held the manor, so called, of Walshwittell. " 3

Later some of the family were found in Worcestershire, where "Careless is at present an Evesham name, and Carless is still a Worcester name. " 4 There was only one entry for the family in Yorkshire at the time of the Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379: Willelmus Careles. 5

Early History of the Curless family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Curless research. Another 104 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1200, 1260, 1379, 1570, 1610, 1619, 1651, 1665, 1670, 1689, 1700, 1722 and 1769 are included under the topic Early Curless History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Curless Spelling Variations

It is only in the last few hundred years that the English language has been standardized. For that reason, early Anglo-Saxon surnames like Curless are characterized by many spelling variations. As the English language changed and incorporated elements of other European languages, even literate people changed the spelling of their names. The variations of the name Curless include: Carlesse, Carelesse, Careless, Carless, Karelees, Kareles, Careles, Corless, Curless, Korelees and many more.

Early Notables of the Curless family

Notables of the family at this time include Willelmus Careles, a prominent 14th century landholder in YorkshireColonel William Careless, Carles or Carlos (c. 1610-1689), was an English Royalist officer of the English Civil War, companion of King Charles II when the fugitive monarch hid in the Royal Oak following his defeat at the Battle of Worcester. "A family of the name of Carlosia described as of Stratford-on-Avon in the 'Visitation of Warwickshire' in 1619." The source goes on to note that he is thought to have been "the son of Anthony Careless, of the Clothiers' Company in Worcester in 1665, who...
Another 204 words (15 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Curless Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Curless migration to Australia +

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

Curless Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Mr. James Curless, (Curlis), (b. 1810), aged 28, Irish Soldier from County Tyrone who was convicted in Cape Coast Castle, Ghana for life for mutiny, transported aboard the "Clyde" on 11th May 1838, arriving in New South Wales, Australia, he died in 1871 6
Catherine Curless, aged 20, a servant, who arrived in South Australia in 1858 aboard the ship "Confiance" 7
Mary Curless, aged 18, a servant, who arrived in South Australia in 1858 aboard the ship "Confiance" 7

Citations +

Harrison, Henry, Surnames of the United Kingdom: A Concise Etymological Dictionary Baltimore: Geneological Publishing Company, 2013. Print
Charnock, Richard, Stephen, Ludus Patronymicus of The Etymology of Curious Surnames. London: Trubner & Co., 60 Paternoster Row, 1868. Print.
Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
Guppy, Henry Brougham, Homes of Family Names in Great Britain. 1890. 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)
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 24th February 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/clyde
South Australian Register Tuesday 30th November 1858. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) Confiance 1858. Retrieved http://www.theshipslist.com/ships/australia/confiance1858.shtml