Grumley History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

The name Grumley was brought to England in the wave of migration that followed the Norman Conquest of 1066. The Grumley family lived in Worcestershire as Lords of the manor of Grimley.

Early Origins of the Grumley family

The surname Grumley was first found in Worcestershire at Grimley, a village and civil parish now in the Malvern Hills District, originally in the union of Martley, Lower division of the hundred of Oswaldslow. An ancient Saxon stronghold, the first listing of the place name was in the 9th century when it was listed as Grimanleage. By the Domesday Book of 1086, the place name had evolved to Grimanleh and consisted of a mill and one half of a fishery of eels. 1 The place name literally means "wood or glade haunted by a spectre or goblin," from the Old English words "grima" + "leah." 2

Early History of the Grumley family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Grumley research. Another 78 words (6 lines of text) covering the year 1890 is included under the topic Early Grumley History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Grumley Spelling Variations

Spelling variations in names were a common occurrence in the eras before English spelling was standardized a few hundred years ago. In the Middle Ages, even the literate regularly changed the spellings of their names as the English language incorporated elements of French, Latin, and other European languages. Many variations of the name Grumley have been found, including Grimley, Grimly, Grimleigh, Grimlie, Grymley and many more.

Early Notables of the Grumley family

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

Migration of the Grumley family to Ireland

Some of the Grumley family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 57 words (4 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Grumley migration to the United States +

For many English families, the social climate in England was oppressive and lacked opportunity for change. For such families, the shores of Ireland, Australia, and the New World beckoned. They left their homeland at great expense in ships that were overcrowded and full of disease. Many arrived after the long voyage sick, starving, and without a penny. But even those were greeted with greater opportunity than they could have experienced back home. Numerous English settlers who arrived in the United States and Canada at this time went on to make important contributions to the developing cultures of those countries. Many of those families went on to make significant contributions to the rapidly developing colonies in which they settled. Early North American records indicate many people bearing the name Grumley were among those contributors:

Grumley Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

William Grumley, aged 37, who arrived in Missouri in 1845 3

Contemporary Notables of the name Grumley (post 1700) +

Michael Grumley (1942-1988), American writer and artist, founding member of The Violet Quill, co-eponym of The Ferro-Grumley Award

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)
Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)