Gadly History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

The ancestors of the Gadly surname lived among the ancient Anglo-Saxon culture. The name comes from when they lived in Hadleigh or Hadley, a place-name found in numerous locations in England. The root of these names is common, however; they are all derived from the Old English roots hæth and leah, which taken together mean "forest clearing where the heather grows." 1

Early Origins of the Gadly family

The surname Gadly was first found in Essex at Hadleigh, a parish, in the union and hundred of Rochford. 2

Over in Suffolk, Hadleigh was a market-town and parish, in the union and hundred of Cosford. "This town, which was probably founded during the heptarchy, about which period a monastery is said to have been established by one of the Saxon kings, was called by the Anglo-Saxons Headlege, whence it derived its modern name. Some of the kings of East Anglia were interred here; as also was Guthrum, or Gormo, a Danish chief, who submitted to Alfred the Great, and renounced paganism after the defeat of the Danes at the battle of Ethandune, now Eddington, in the county of Wilts: a tomb is still shown in the church as the monument of Guthrum (who died in 889)" 2

"In Essex and Suffolk I find two parishes of Hadleigh, and in Middlesex a parish Hadley." 3 Another source notes: "Hædleáh in an Anglo-Saxon will of the 10th century." 4

The first record of the family was indeed found in Suffolk. Matilda de Hadlega was listed there in the Pipe Rolls of 1194. Warin de Hadlai was listed in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire in 1212 and John Hadley was listed in the Feet of Fines for Essex in 1390. 5

Early History of the Gadly family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Gadly research. Another 67 words (5 lines of text) covering the years 1194, 1379, 1682, 1685, 1691, 1730, 1731, 1744, 1749, 1753, 1756, 1760, 1763, 1764, 1768, 1771 and 1798 are included under the topic Early Gadly History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Gadly Spelling Variations

Before English spelling was standardized a few hundred years ago, spelling variations of names were a common occurrence. Elements of Latin, French and other languages became incorporated into English through the Middle Ages, and name spellings changed even among the literate. The variations of the surname Gadly include Hadley, Hadleigh and others.

Early Notables of the Gadly family

Notables of the family at this time include George Hadley (1685-1768), an English lawyer and amateur meteorologist, eponym of the Hadley cell and The Met Office Hadley Centre for Climate Change John Hadley (1682-1744), was an English mathematician, inventor of the octant and precursor to the sextant around 1730. Mons Hadley and Rima Hadley on the Moon are named after him. He was the son of George Hadley, deputy-lieutenant and afterwards, in 1691, High Sheriff of Hertfordshire. "He must be distinguished from an older John Hadley who was also skilled in practical mechanics." 6 John Hadley MD (1731-1764), the Professor of chemistry at...
Another 123 words (9 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Gadly Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Gadly family

A great wave of immigration to the New World was the result of the enormous political and religious disarray that struck England at that time. Families left for the New World in extremely large numbers. The long journey was the end of many immigrants and many more arrived sick and starving. Still, those who made it were rewarded with an opportunity far greater than they had known at home in England. These emigrant families went on to make significant contributions to these emerging colonies in which they settled. Some of the first North American settlers carried this name or one of its variants: George Hadley settled in Salem Massachusetts in 1630; David and John Hadley settled in Virginia in 1772; Martha Hadley arrived in Maryland in 1736; Mrs. R. Hadley arrived in San Francisco with her child in 1860..

Citations +

Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
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)
Harrison, Henry, Surnames of the United Kingdom: A Concise Etymological Dictionary Baltimore: Geneological Publishing Company, 2013. Print
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print