Marles History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

The history of the Marles family name begins after the Norman Conquest of 1066. They lived in Northumberland. Their name, however, derives from the family's place of residence prior to the Norman Conquest of England in 1066, Merlai, Normandy. [1]

Early Origins of the Marles family

The surname Marles was first found in Northumberland at Morpeth, a parish and borough.

They descend from the "Barons of Morpeth in Northumberland, where the ruins of their castle still overlook the town. The domain was very large, including many adjacent villages, and 'by the rolls of Henry V. is called the barony of Merlay, which shows that Merlay and Morpeth were places originally distinct from each other, the one denoting the hill and the other the valley: at length the distinctions subsided in the general appellation of Morpeth. King Henry I. gave Julian the daughter of Gospatrick Earl of Dunbar in marriage, with a rich dowry, to Roger de Merley, Baron of Morpeth. This Roger founded Newminster, and was interred therein, with his wife and Osbert their son.' " [2]

Another source confirms this history. "The first certain account preserved of it, is in the grant by the Conqueror of the manor to one of his followers, William de Merlay, whose son Ranulph added largely to his paternal estates by his marriage with Julian, daughter of Cospatrick, Earl of Dunbar; ultimately the family became one of the most powerful in the north of England, and were owners of about a fourth of the county of Northumberland. In 1266, their possessions were vested in two coheiresses, Mary and Isabel, to the elder of whom, wife of William, Baron of Greystock, the manor of Morpeth was allotted." [3]

Ulgham in Northumberland was home to another branch of the family in ancient times. "This place, in the charter of Henry I. granting right of free chase on it to the Merlay family, is called Elchamp: it was formerly, in part, the property of Newminster Abbey; and the hospital of St. John of Jerusalem also held some lands here." [3]

Early History of the Marles family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Marles research. Another 122 words (9 lines of text) covering the years 1066, 1296 and 1296 are included under the topic Early Marles History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Marles Spelling Variations

Anglo-Norman names are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. When the Normans became the ruling people of England in the 11th century, they introduced a new language into a society where the main languages of Old and later Middle English had no definite spelling rules. These languages were more often spoken than written, so they blended freely with one another. Contributing to this mixing of tongues was the fact that medieval scribes spelled words according to sound, ensuring that a person's name would appear differently in nearly every document in which it was recorded. The name has been spelled Merlay, Merler, Merle and others.

Early Notables of the Marles family (pre 1700)

More information is included under the topic Early Marles Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Marles migration to the United States +

For many English families, the political and religious disarray that plagued their homeland made the frontiers of the New World an attractive prospect. Thousands migrated, aboard cramped disease-ridden ships. They arrived sick, poor, and hungry, but were welcomed in many cases with far greater opportunity than at home in England. Many of these hardy settlers went on to make important contributions to the emerging nations in which they landed. Among early immigrants bearing the name Marles or a variant listed above were:

Marles Settlers in United States in the 20th Century

William John Marles, aged 26, originally from Swansea, Wales, arrived in New York in 1913 aboard the ship "Franconia (1923)" from Liverpool, England [4]
Edward Marles, aged 17, arrived in New York in 1917 aboard the ship "Carpathia" from Liverpool, England [5]
Nicholas Marles, aged 26, arrived in New York in 1919 aboard the ship "Antilla" from Barry, England [6]
Stephanus Marles, aged 22, arrived in New York in 1919 aboard the ship "Antilla" from Barry, England [7]
Henry Marles, aged 48, arrived in New York in 1920 aboard the ship "Olympic" from Southampton, England [8]
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Marles (post 1700) +

Gwilym Marles (1834-1879), born William Thomas, a Welsh minister and poet, and the great-uncle of Dylan Thomas
Richard Donald Marles (b. 1967), Australian politician, Minister for Trade in 2013, Member of the Australian Parliament for Corio (2007-)
Sir Clive Marles Sinclair (1940-2021), English entrepreneur and inventor, known for his Sinclair Radionics founded in 1961 which produced the Sinclair ZX80, the UK's first mass-market home computer for less than £100

Citations +

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)
Cleveland, Dutchess of The Battle Abbey Roll with some Account of the Norman Lineages. London: John Murray, Abermarle Street, 1889. Print. Volume 3 of 3
Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
"New York Passenger Arrival Lists (Ellis Island), 1892-1924," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:JJMW-653 : 6 December 2014), William John Marles, 07 Apr 1913; citing departure port Liverpool, arrival port New York, ship name Franconia (1923), NARA microfilm publication T715 and M237 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.).
"New York Passenger Arrival Lists (Ellis Island), 1892-1924," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:JJC4-JYC : 6 December 2014), Edward Marles, 17 May 1917; citing departure port Liverpool, arrival port New York, ship name Carpathia, NARA microfilm publication T715 and M237 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.).
"New York Passenger Arrival Lists (Ellis Island), 1892-1924," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:J678-XM5 : 6 December 2014), Nicholas Marles, 10 Nov 1919; citing departure port Barry, England, arrival port N Y, ship name Antilla, NARA microfilm publication T715 and M237 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.).
"New York Passenger Arrival Lists (Ellis Island), 1892-1924," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:J678-XMR : 6 December 2014), Stephanus Marles, 10 Nov 1919; citing departure port Barry, England, arrival port N Y, ship name Antilla, NARA microfilm publication T715 and M237 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.).
"New York Passenger Arrival Lists (Ellis Island), 1892-1924," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:J668-ZZF : 6 December 2014), Henry Marles, 03 Nov 1920; citing departure port Southampton, arrival port New York, ship name Olympic, NARA microfilm publication T715 and M237 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.).