Show ContentsHildeslay History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Early Origins of the Hildeslay family

The surname Hildeslay was first found in Berkshire, where the family name was first referenced in the year 1375 when William Hildesly held the estates of Bynham or Benham. East Ilsley, again in Berkshire, was an ancient family seat. "This place was originally called Hildesley, as appears from an inscription on a brass plate in the church, where the name occurs as belonging to an ancient family." 1

Early History of the Hildeslay family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Hildeslay research. Another 76 words (5 lines of text) covering the years 1455, 1487, 1538, 1698, 1705, 1710, 1720, 1723, 1724 and 1772 are included under the topic Early Hildeslay History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Hildeslay 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 Hildeslay has undergone many spelling variations, including Hildersley, Hilderley, Hilderly, Hildesly, Hildesley, Hylderly, Hylderly, Hyldersley, Hylderley, Hildreth and many more.

Early Notables of the Hildeslay family

Distinguished members of the family include John Hilsey or Hildesleigh d. 1538), Bishop of Rochester who is stated by Wood to have belonged to the Hildsleys of Benham, Berkshire, a branch of the Hildsleys of Hildsley, Berkshire. 2 Mark Hildesley (1698-1772), was Bishop of Sodor and Man, born at Murston, Kent, on 9 Dec. 1698, the eldest surviving son of Mark Hildesley, rector of Murston and also vicar of Sittingbourne from 1705. "In 1710 the father became...
Another 77 words (6 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Hildeslay Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Hildeslay family

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 Hildeslay were among those contributors: the name represented in many forms and recorded from the mid 17th century in the great migration from Europe. Migrants settled in the eastern seaboard from Newfoundland, to Maine, to Virginia, the Carolinas, and to the islands..



  1. Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
  2. Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print


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