Mawdlay History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

The ancestors of the bearers of the Mawdlay family name are thought have lived in ancient Anglo-Saxon England. They were first found in the settlement of Mawdesley in the county of Lancashire. 1 2 The surname Mawdlay 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 Mawdlay family

The surname Mawdlay 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 Mawdlay family

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

Mawdlay Spelling Variations

Until quite recently, the English language has lacked a definite system of spelling rules. Consequently, Anglo-Saxon surnames are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. Changes in Anglo-Saxon names were influenced by the evolution of the English language, as it incorporated elements of French, Latin, and other languages. Although Medieval scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded, so it is common to find one person referred to by several different spellings of his surname, even the most literate people varied the spelling of their own names. Variations of the name Mawdlay include Mawdesley, Maudesley, Maudsley and others.

Early Notables of the Mawdlay family

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

Migration of the Mawdlay family

Searching for a better life, many English families migrated to British colonies. Unfortunately, the majority of them traveled under extremely harsh conditions: overcrowding on the ships caused the majority of the immigrants to arrive diseased, famished, and destitute from the long journey across the ocean. For those families that arrived safely, modest prosperity was attainable, and many went on to make invaluable contributions to the development of the cultures of the new colonies. Research into the origins of individual families in North America revealed records of the immigration of a number of people bearing the name Mawdlay 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)