Show ContentsMozley History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The origins of the Mozley name come from when the Anglo-Saxon tribes ruled over Britain. The name Mozley was originally derived from a family having lived in one of the places called Moseley in Staffordshire and Worcestershire (both in the West Midlands region), in Moseley in West Dean in Gloucestershire, or in Mowsley in Leicestershire. There is also a Mossley in Greater Manchester.

Early Origins of the Mozley family

The surname Mozley was first found in Moseley, now a suburb of Birmingham in the West Midlands or in Moseley in Herefordshire and Worcestershire or in Mowsley, a small village in Lancashire. All four locations are listed in the Domesday Book. 1

The West Midlands village was originally called Moleshi and literally meant "woodland clearing of a man called Moll," from the Old English personal name + leah. The latter three locations were listed as Museleie and in these cases, the place names literally meant "woodland clearing infested with mice." 2

Mossely, a small town and civil parish in Greater Manchester was first listed as Moselegh in 1319 and literally meant "woodland clearing by a swamp or bog." 2

The first record of the family was found in London where Robert de Molseleye was listed in 1325. A few years later in Staffordshire, John de Mollesley was found in the Subsidy Rolls for 1332, and later gain, Thomas Mollesseley was listed in Cambridgeshire in 1340. 3

Early History of the Mozley family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Mozley research. Another 113 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1200, 1527, 1599, 1609, 1610, 1612, 1639, 1647, 1660, 1661, 1665, 1674, 1705, 1720, 1751, 1757 and 1779 are included under the topic Early Mozley History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Mozley Spelling Variations

Before English spelling was standardized a few hundred years ago, spelling variations of names were a common occurrence. Elements of Latin, French and other languages became incorporated into English through the Middle Ages, and name spellings changed even among the literate. The variations of the surname Mozley include Moseley, Mosely, Mosley, Mossley and others.

Early Notables of the Mozley family

Notables of the family at this time include Sir Nicholas Moseley; Humphrey Moseley (died 1661), a prominent London publisher and bookseller, best known for the first Beaumont and Fletcher folio of 1647; Sir Edward Mosley, 1st Baronet of Rolleston; and Sir Edward Mosley, 2nd Baronet (1639-1665), an English politician, Sheriff of Lancashire in 1660, Member of Parliament...
Another 57 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Mozley Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.


Australia Mozley migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Mozley Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
  • Mr. Frederick Mozley, English convict who was convicted in Derby, Derbyshire, England for 14 years, transported aboard the "Fairlie" on 14th October 1833, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 4
  • Mr. Robert Mozley, (b. 1816), aged 18, English brick maker who was convicted in Derbyshire, England for 7 years for house breaking, transported aboard the "Bengal Merchant" on 27th September 1834, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 5

Contemporary Notables of the name Mozley (post 1700) +

  • Norman Adolphus Mozley (1865-1922), American politician, Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Missouri (1895-1897)
  • Thomas Mozley (1806-1893), English clergyman and writer, a strong supporter of the Tractarian movement
  • James Bowling Mozley (1813-1878), English theologian from Gainsborough, Lincolnshire, Regius Professor of Divinity at Oxford (1871-1878), younger brother of Thomas Mozley
  • Bert Mozley (b. 1923), retired English international footballer who played from 1945 to 1955 for Derby and on the 1949 England National Team


  1. Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
  2. Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
  3. Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
  4. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 21st September 2022). https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/fairlie
  5. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 7th October 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/bengal-merchant


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