The distinguished surname Madley is derived from the Hebrew "Magdalen," meaning "woman of Magdala." This name was also used, fairly infrequently, as a Christian name during the 13th century.
The surname Madley was first found in Oxfordshire, where the Madley family was anciently seated 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. However, many Saxon surnames survived, and the family name Madley was first referenced in the 13th century, when the Madley family held estates in Oxfordshire.
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Madley research. Another 104 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1273 and 1368 are included under the topic Early Madley History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
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 Madley has undergone many spelling variations, including Maudlin, Maudling, Madeline, Magdelin, Madolin, Magdelyn, Magdeleine and many more.
More information is included under the topic Early Madley Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Some of the Madley family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 81 words (6 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
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 Madley were among those contributors: