Show ContentsLynley History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The name Lynley is an old Anglo-Saxon name. It comes from when a family lived in either of the settlements called Linley in Shropshire or Wiltshire, or in one of the places called Lindley in Leicestershire or the West Riding of Yorkshire. The surname Lynley is occasionally derived from residence near a limewood or in a clearing where flax was grown. The surname Lynley belongs to both the large category of Anglo-Saxon habitation names, which are derived from pre-existing names for towns, villages, parishes, or farmsteads, and to the class of topographic surnames, which were given to people who resided near physical features such as hills, streams, churches, or types of trees.

Early Origins of the Lynley family

The surname Lynley was first found in Yorkshire at Lindley cum Quarmby, a chapelry, in the parish and union of Huddersfield, Upper division of the wapentake of Agbrigg. 1

"The name is derived from Lindley, Yorkshire, which was held (13th cent.) from Roger de Mowbray by knight service, by William de Rodeville or Rudeville, of Normandy. 2 3

The first record of the family found early rolls was Robert de Linleye who was listed in the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 in Bedfordshire. 4 In Somerset, Augustin Lynleye, was listed there 1 Edward III (during the first years of King Edward III's reign.) 5

Early History of the Lynley family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Lynley research. Another 114 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1570, 1599, 1609, 1732, 1758, 1771, 1795, 1799, 1835 and 1865 are included under the topic Early Lynley History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Lynley Spelling Variations

Before the last few hundred years, the English language had no fast system of spelling rules. For that reason, spelling variations are commonly found in early Anglo-Saxon surnames. Over the years, many variations of the name Lynley were recorded, including Lindlie, Lindly, Lindley, Lindleigh, Lindlee, Lyndley, Lyndly, Lyndlee and many more.

Early Notables of the Lynley family

Distinguished members of the family include Sir Henry Lindley (d. 1609), of Leatherly, Yorkshire, knighted at Offaley on 30 July 1599. He was the third son of Laurence Lindley of Leathley by Elizabeth, daughter of Richard Redman of Harewood Castle.Thomas Linley, the Elder (1732-1795), was an early English musical composer, born at Wells in 1732, and was the son of a carpenter. "Being sent on one occasion to execute some carpentering work at Badminton, the seat of the Duke of Beaufort, he derived such pleasure from listening to the playing and singing of Thomas Chilcot, the organist of Bath Abbey Church...
Another 134 words (10 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Lynley Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Ireland Migration of the Lynley family to Ireland

Some of the Lynley 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.


West Indies Lynley migration to West Indies +

The British first settled the British West Indies around 1604. They made many attempts but failed in some to establish settlements on the Islands including Saint Lucia and Grenada. By 1627 they had managed to establish settlements on St. Kitts (St. Christopher) and Barbados, but by 1641 the Spanish had moved in and destroyed some of these including those at Providence Island. The British continued to expand the settlements including setting the First Federation in the British West Indies by 1674; some of the islands include Barbados, Bermuda, Cayman Island, Turks and Caicos, Jamaica and Belize then known as British Honduras. By the 1960's many of the islands became independent after the West Indies Federation which existed from 1958 to 1962 failed due to internal political conflicts. After this a number of Eastern Caribbean islands formed a free association. 6
Lynley Settlers in West Indies in the 17th Century
  • Mr. Robert Lynley, aged 20, British settler travelling from Gravesend, UK aboard the ship "Hopewell" arriving in Barbados on 17th February 1634 7

Contemporary Notables of the name Lynley (post 1700) +

  • Carol Lynley (1942-2019), born Carole Ann Jones, an American Golden Globe Award nominated actress and child model, known for her roles in the films The Poseidon Adventure (1972) and Blue Denim
  • Lynley Bradnam, New Zealand researcher with the University of Auckland


  1. Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
  2. Testa de Nevill or "Liber Feodorum" or "Book of Fees," thought to have been written by Ralph de Nevill, for King John (1199–1216)
  3. The Norman People and Their Existing Descendants in the British Dominions and the United States Of America. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing, 1975. Print. (ISBN 0-8063-0636-X)
  4. Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
  5. Dickinson, F.H., Kirby's Quest for Somerset of 16th of Edward the 3rd London: Harrison and Sons, Printers in Ordinary to Her Majesty, St, Martin's Lane, 1889. Print.
  6. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_West_Indies
  7. 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)


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