Show ContentsHendley History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Early Origins of the Hendley family

The surname Hendley was first found in Kent where they held a family seat as Lords of the Manor. The Saxon influence of English history diminished after the Battle of Hastings in 1066. The language of the courts was French for the next three centuries and the Norman ambience prevailed. But Saxon surnames survived and the family name was first referenced in the 13th century when they held estates in that county.

Early History of the Hendley family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Hendley research. Another 97 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1455, 1487, 1499, 1542, 1550, 1605, 1637, 1675, 1691, 1716 and 1724 are included under the topic Early Hendley History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Hendley Spelling Variations

Only recently has spelling become standardized in the English language. As the English language evolved in the Middle Ages, the spelling of names changed also. The name Hendley has undergone many spelling variations, including Hednley, Hendlie, Hendlee, Hendlea, Hentley, Hentleigh, Hendleigh, Hentlea, Hentlee, Hendeley and many more.

Early Notables of the Hendley family

Distinguished members of the family include

  • Walter Hendley (1499-1550), of Cranbrook, Kent and Gray's Inn, London, an English politician for Canterbury, Kent in 1542; Sir Thomas Hendley, High Sheriff of Kent in 1637; Sir Walter Hendley, 1st Bar...
  • William Hendley (1691?-1724), was an English divine, born about 1691 at Bearstead, Kent and was the second son of William Hendley of Otham, in the same county, and Elizabeth his wife. He was ordained...

Hendley Ranking

In the United States, the name Hendley is the 6,810th most popular surname with an estimated 4,974 people with that name. 1


Hendley migration to the United States +

To escape the unstable social climate in England of this time, many families boarded ships for the New World with the hope of finding land, opportunity, and greater religious and political freedom. Although the voyages were expensive, crowded, and difficult, those families that arrived often found greater opportunities and freedoms than they could have experienced at home. 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 Hendley were among those contributors:

Hendley Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
  • Thomas Hendley, who arrived in Maryland in 1665 2
Hendley Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
  • Matthew Hendley, who landed in New England in 1775 2
Hendley Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • John Hendley, who arrived in Allegany (Allegheny) County, Pennsylvania in 1860 2

Hendley migration to Australia +

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

Hendley Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
  • John Hendley, English convict from Worcester, who was transported aboard the "Andromeda" on November 13, 1832, settling in New South Wales, Australia 3
  • Miss Ann Hendley who was convicted in London, England for 10 years, transported aboard the "Cadet" on 10th November 1848, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 4
  • Mr. James Hendley, English convict who was convicted in Lewes, Sussex, England for 20 years, transported aboard the "Clyde" on 11th March 1863, arriving in Western Australia, Australia 5

Hendley migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Hendley Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century
  • William S. Hendley, aged 29, a bricklayer, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Glenlora" in 1873
  • Emilie Hendley, aged 25, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Glenlora" in 1873
  • William Lewis Hendley, aged 3, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Glenlora" in 1873
  • Louis A. Hendley, aged 1 month, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Glenlora" in 1873

Contemporary Notables of the name Hendley (post 1700) +

  • Dickson Beattie "Doc" Hendley (b. 1979), American founder of Wine to Water, an American charitable organization
  • Charles Robert "Bob" Hendley (b. 1939), American former Major League Baseball pitcher
  • William R. Hendley, American Democratic Party politician, Judge, New Mexico Court of Appeals, 1972 6
  • James C. Hendley, American Democratic Party politician, Candidate for Michigan State House of Representatives from Washtenaw County, 1940, 1942 6
  • James A. Hendley, American Republican politician, Alternate Delegate to Republican National Convention from Connecticut, 1952 6
  • J. A. Hendley, American Republican politician, Delegate to Republican National Convention from North Carolina, 1960 6
  • Charles Hendley, American politician, Candidate for U.S. Representative from New York, 1936, 1950; American Labor Candidate for New York State Senate 28th District, 1948 6
  • Charles Hendley, American Republican politician, Delegate to Republican National Convention from Kentucky, 1860 6
  • Kathryn Hendley (b. 1958), American Professor of Law and Political Science at the University of Wisconsin
  • Colonel Thomas Holbein Hendley CIE (1847-1917), British medical officer in the Indian Medical Service
  • ... (Another 2 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)


  1. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  2. 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)
  3. State Library of Queensland. (Retrieved 2014, November 27) Andromeda voyage to New South Wales, Australia in 1832 with 186 passengers. Retrieved from http://www.convictrecords.com.au/ships/andromeda/1832
  4. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 17th November 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/cadet/
  5. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 25th February 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/clyde
  6. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, November 11) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html


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