Show ContentsLamlay History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Early Origins of the Lamlay family

The surname Lamlay was first found in Durham where the first recorded ancestor was Liulph, who lived before the year 1080. 1 Great Lumley is a village south east of Chester-le-Street, near Lumley Castle.

"On a fine eminence, sloping to the eastern bank of the river Wear, stands the stately castle of Lumley, erected in the reign of Edward I. by Robert de Lumley, ancestor of the Earl of Scarborough. 2

Ralph de Lumley, 1st Baron Lumley (c. 1360-1400), an English peer held Lumley Castle, a quadrangular castle built in 1389 after returning from wars in Scotland. However, he was implicated in a plot to overthrow King Henry IV, imprisoned and later executed, forfeiting his lands to the Earl of Somerset. But by 1421, his grandson Thomas managed to reclaim Lumley Castle. Today the restored castle is reputed to be one of the most haunted places in County Durham with the ghost of the wife of Ralph de Lumley, 1st Baron Lumley repeatly floating up from the well to haunt the castle. It is claimed that she was thrown down the well by two priests for rejecting the Catholic faith.

East Murton in Durham played an important part in the early family lineage. "The manor and vill were the property of the family of Lumley from an early date to the reign of Elizabeth; the ancient tenure is uniformly described to be by homage and fealty, in free and common socage." 2

The township of Waldridge in Durham was home to another branch of the family. "This place was long the estate of the Lumleys, of whom John, Lord Lumley, alienated it to the Smith family in 1607; it has since passed through various families." 2

The Lambley variant hails from Lambley, a parish, in the union of Haltwhistle, W. division of Tindale ward, S. division of Northumberland or Lambley, a parish, in the union of Basford, S. division of the wapentake of Thurgarton and of the county of Nottingham. 2

Early History of the Lamlay family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Lamlay research. Another 86 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1080, 1360, 1384, 1400, 1429, 1450, 1533, 1537, 1578, 1609, 1650, 1658, 1685, 1686, 1692, 1704, 1708, 1710, 1717, 1721, 1722 and 1740 are included under the topic Early Lamlay History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Lamlay Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Lumley, Lumly and others.

Early Notables of the Lamlay family

Notables of the family at this time include Ralph de Lumley, 1st Baron Lumley (c. 1360-1400), an English peer; and his son, Marmaduke Lumley (died 1450), an English priest, Bishop of Carlisle from 1429 to 1450; Richard Lumley, 1st Viscount Lumley; and his grandson, Richard Lumley, 1st Earl of Scarbrough (1650-1721), an English soldier and statesman who it is believed captured the Duke of Monmouth during the rebellion who was covered in a dry ditch covered with fern brakes; John Lumley, 1st Baron Lumley (c. 1533-1609), an English aristocrat who is remembered...
Another 92 words (7 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Lamlay Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Ireland Migration of the Lamlay family to Ireland

Some of the Lamlay family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt. More information about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Lamlay family

Some of the first settlers of this family name or some of its variants were: Donald Lumley settled in Virginia in 1650; Thomas Lumley and Ruth settled with their two children in Fort Cumberland Nova Scotia in 1774.



The Lamlay Motto +

The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.

Motto: Murus aeneus conscientia sana
Motto Translation: A sound conscience is a wall of brass.


  1. Shirley, Evelyn Philip, The Noble and Gentle Men of England; The Arms and Descents. Westminster: John Bower Nichols and Sons, 1866, Print.
  2. Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.


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