The name Heighley came to England with the ancestors of the Heighley family in the Norman Conquest of 1066. The Heighley family lived in Heathley, Staffordshire.
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Early Origins of the Heighley family
The surname Heighley was first found in Staffordshire where they held a family seat as Lords of the Manor of Heighley (pronounced Heathley or Heatly). At the taking of the Domesday Book in 1086 by Duke William of Normandy after his conquest of England at Hastings in 1066, this village was the King's land, but reconstructing the evidence, there remains the ruins of a 13th century castle at Heighley which was probably reduced by an angry King. We next see Sir Robert of Keatlie far to the north in the lands of Mellerston just over the border in Scotland. In 1296 his successor, Sir Alexander of Hateley, made his peace with King Edward 1st of England in his brief conquest of Scotland and declared his oath of allegiance and loyalty to him. Sir Alexander's seal is a boar's head which is consistent with the Coat of Arms for Heathley.
Early History of the Heighley family
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Heighley research. Another 66 words (5 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Heighley History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Heighley Spelling Variations
Multitudes of spelling variations are a hallmark of Anglo Norman names. Most of these names evolved in the 11th and 12th century, in the time after the Normans introduced their own Norman French language into a country where Old and Middle English had no spelling rules and the languages of the court were French and Latin. To make matters worse, medieval scribes spelled words according to sound, so names frequently appeared differently in the various documents in which they were recorded. The name was spelled Heathley, Heighley, Heatley, Heathly and others.
Early Notables of the Heighley family
More information is included under the topic Early Heighley Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Migration of the Heighley family to Ireland
Some of the Heighley family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt. Another 36 words (3 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
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Migration of the Heighley family
Because of this political and religious unrest within English society, many people decided to immigrate to the colonies. Families left for Ireland, North America, and Australia in enormous numbers, traveling at high cost in extremely inhospitable conditions. The New World in particular was a desirable destination, but the long voyage caused many to arrive sick and starving. Those who made it, though, were welcomed by opportunities far greater than they had known at home in England. Many of these families went on to make important contributions to the emerging nations of Canada and the United States. Analysis of immigration records indicates that some of the first North American immigrants bore the name Heighley or a variant listed above: Robert Heathly who landed in North America in 1697.
