Mawdeslay History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

The Anglo-Saxon name Mawdeslay comes from when the family resided in the settlement of Mawdesley in the county of Lancashire. 1 2 The surname Mawdeslay belongs to the large category of Anglo-Saxon habitation names, which are derived from pre-existing names for towns, villages, parishes, or farmsteads.

Early Origins of the Mawdeslay family

The surname Mawdeslay was first found in Lancashire at Mawdesley, a township, in the parish of Croston, union of Chorley, hundred of Leyland. "Adam de Mawdesley was a ward of the duchy of Lancaster in the reign of Edward III.; Robert Mawdesley, the last of this ancient family, was living at Mawdesley Hall about 1760. " 3

"The Mawdesleys of Mawdesley possessed the demesnes of Mawdesley from the 12th to the 17th century (B.), and the name still occurs there." 4 Thomas de Maudesley was listed in the Lancashire Fines of 1398. 5

William de Maudesley was listed in the Assize Rolls for Lancashire in 1401 and Robert Mawdesley was listed as a Freeman or York in 1476. 6

Early History of the Mawdeslay family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Mawdeslay research. Another 68 words (5 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Mawdeslay History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Mawdeslay Spelling Variations

The English language only became standardized in the last few centuries; therefore,spelling variations are common among early Anglo-Saxon names. As the form of the English language changed, even the spelling of literate people's names evolved. Mawdeslay has been recorded under many different variations, including Mawdesley, Maudesley, Maudsley and others.

Early Notables of the Mawdeslay family

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

Migration of the Mawdeslay family

For many English families, the political and religious disarray that shrouded England made the far away New World an attractive prospect. On cramped disease-ridden ships, thousands migrated to those British colonies that would eventually become Canada and the United States. Those hardy settlers that survived the journey often went on to make important contributions to the emerging nations in which they landed. Analysis of immigration records indicates that some of the first North American immigrants bore the name Mawdeslay or a variant listed above: Henry Maudesley settled in Boston in 1635; Richard Maudesley settled in Philadelphia in 1852; John Mawdesley settled in New England in 1630; Mary Mawdesley settled with her husband and two children in Philadelphia in 1822.

Citations +

Barber, Henry, British Family Names London: Elliot Stock, 62 Paternoster Row, 1894. Print.
Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
Guppy, Henry Brougham, Homes of Family Names in Great Britain. 1890. Print.
Harrison, Henry, Surnames of the United Kingdom: A Concise Etymological Dictionary Baltimore: Geneological Publishing Company, 2013. Print
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)