Darlay Surname, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

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The name Darlay reached English shores for the first time with the ancestors of the Darlay family as they migrated following the Norman Conquest of 1066. The Darlay family lived in Derbyshire. They were originally from Erle in Calvados, Normandy, and it is from the local form of this name, D'Erle, which means, from Erle, that their name derives.

Darlay Early Origins

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The surname Darlay was first found in Derbyshire at Darley, a parish, in the union of Bakewell, partly in the hundred of Wirksworth. Darley Abbey is a historic mill village, now a suburb of the city of Derby and Darley Dale, also known simply as Darley, is a town and civil parish. Darley Dale dates back to the Domesday Book of 1086 where it was first listed as Dereleie. Darley Abbey was an Augustinian monastery that dates back to the 12th century when it was first listed as Derega. In the parish of Lastingham, in the North Riding of Yorkshire, the Darley family have been lords of the manor there for a considerable time.

Darlay Spelling Variations

Anglo-Norman names tend to be marked by an enormous number of spelling variations. This is largely due to the fact that Old and Middle English lacked any spelling rules when Norman French was introduced in the 11th century. The languages of the English courts at that time were French and Latin. These various languages mixed quite freely in the evolving social milieu. The final element of this mix is that medieval scribes spelled words according to their sounds rather than any definite rules, so a name was often spelled in as many different ways as the number of documents it appeared in. The name was spelled Darley, Darleigh, Darligh, Darly and others.

Darlay Early History

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Darlay research. Another 171 words (12 lines of text) covering the years 1795, 1846 and 1702 are included under the topic Early Darlay History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Darlay Early Notables (pre 1700)

Another 44 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Darlay Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Darlay In Ireland

Some of the Darlay family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt. Another 45 words (3 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

The Great Migration

Because of the political and religious discontent in England, families began to migrate abroad in enormous numbers. Faced with persecution and starvation at home, the open frontiers and generally less oppressive social environment of the New World seemed tantalizing indeed to many English people. The trip was difficult, and not all made it unscathed, but many of those who did get to Canada and the United States made important contributions to the young nations in which they settled. Some of the first North American settlers with Darlay name or one of its variants: James Darley who settled in Maryland in 1738; Richard and William Darley arrived in Philadelphia in 1854; John and William arrived in Philadelphia in 1798.

Motto

The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.

Motto: Per mare
Motto Translation: By sea.

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Citations

^ Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
^ Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)

Other References

Leeson, Francis L. Dictionary of British Peerages. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing, 1986. Print. (ISBN 0-8063-1121-5).
Bolton, Charles Knowles. Bolton's American Armory. Baltimore: Heraldic Book Company, 1964. Print.
Library of Congress. American and English Genealogies in the Library of Congress. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing, 1967. Print.
Reaney P.H and R.M. Wilson. A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X).
Magnusson, Magnus. Chambers Biographical Dictionary 5th edition. Edinburgh: W & R Chambers, 1990. Print.
Shirley, Evelyn Philip. Noble and Gentle Men of England Or Notes Touching The Arms and Descendants of the Ancient Knightley and Gentle Houses of England Arranged in their Respective Counties 3rd Edition. Westminster: John Bowyer Nichols and Sons, 1866. Print.
Dunkling, Leslie. Dictionary of Surnames. Toronto: Collins, 1998. Print. (ISBN 0004720598).
Thirsk, Joan. The Agrarian History of England and Wales. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press: 7 Volumes. Print.
Sanders, Joanne McRee Edition. English Settlers in Barbados 1637-1800. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing. Print.
Burke, John Bernard Ed. The Roll of Battle Abbey. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing. Print.
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The Darlay Family Crest was acquired from the Houseofnames.com archives. The Darlay Family Crest was drawn according to heraldic standards based on published blazons. We generally include the oldest published family crest once associated with each surname.

This page was last modified on 23 June 2016 at 12:20.