Ortelay History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

Ortelay is a name whose history is connected to the ancient Anglo-Saxon tribes of Britain. The name is derived from when the Ortelay family once lived in the village of Audley in Staffordshire.

Early Origins of the Ortelay family

The surname Ortelay was first found in Staffordshire, where they the name dates back to the Roll of Battel Abbey which lists the name Audeley whose family originated at "Verdon, whose chief seat was at Alton Castle, in the northern part of Staffordshire. In the immediately succeeding reigns few families held a more conspicuous place in history, but its most distinguished member was the renowned James de Audley, Lord Audley, the hero of Poictiers." 1

"[Audley, Staffordshire] was originally given by Hervey de Stafford to the barons of Aldeleigh, or Audley, who erected the baronial residence of Heyley Castle, commanding an extensive range of the surrounding country." 2

One of the earliest records of the family was Henry de Audley (1175-1246), the English Royalist Baron, son of Adam de Alditheley, who held Alditheley, Staffordshire from the Verdons in 1186. He was Sheriff of Shropshire and Staffordshire 1227 and 1229. His son was James de Audley (1220-1272), another English Baron. Nicholas Audley, 1st Baron Audley of Heighley Castle, Staffordshire (1289-1316), was an English peer. His only surviving son was Nicholas Audley, 3rd Baron Audley (c.1328- 1391), born in Heighley Castle, Staffordshire, he was later known as Lord of Rougemont. Through marriage he was granted the Lordship of the Isle of Man in 1310 and his descendants would later become King of Mann. 3

Sir James Audley (or Audeley) KG (c. 1318-1369) was one of the founders of the Order of the Garter. He was the eldest son of Sir James Audley of Stratton Audley in Oxfordshire.

All of the above claim a common heritage from the aforementioned Henry de Audley (died 1246) as all share a similar Coats of Arms but with variations to depict their distinctive branch.

Early History of the Ortelay family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Ortelay research. Another 279 words (20 lines of text) covering the years 1086, 1185, 1289, 1312, 1316, 1369, 1377, 1488, 1523, 1524, 1529, 1533, 1535, 1536, 1544, 1577, 1620, 1662, 1674 and 1780 are included under the topic Early Ortelay History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Ortelay Spelling Variations

Sound was what guided spelling in the essentially pre-literate Middle Ages, so one person's name was often recorded under several variations during a single lifetime. Also, before the advent of the printing press and the first dictionaries, the English language was not standardized. Therefore, spelling variations were common, even among the names of the most literate people. Known variations of the Ortelay family name include Audeley, Audley, Audeleye, Awdelye, Audeleygh, Aldeoalega, Audsley, Audless and many more.

Early Notables of the Ortelay family

Distinguished members of the family include Edmund Audley (d. 1524), English divine, Bishop of Rochester, the son of James, Lord Audley, by Eleanor his wife. Hugh Audley (1577-1662), also known as The Great Audley, was an English moneylender, lawyer and philosopher. Thomas Audley (1488-1544), was a Baron seated at Walden in Essex, who became Lord Chancellor of England. He entered Parliament in 1523 and was Speaker of the...
Another 67 words (5 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Ortelay Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Ortelay family to Ireland

Some of the Ortelay family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 68 words (5 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Ortelay family

For political, religious, and economic reasons, thousands of English families boarded ships for Ireland, Canada, the America colonies, and many of smaller tropical colonies in the hope of finding better lives abroad. Although the passage on the cramped, dank ships caused many to arrive in the New World diseased and starving, those families that survived the trip often went on to make valuable contributions to those new societies to which they arrived. Early immigrants bearing the Ortelay surname or a spelling variation of the name include: John Audley, who sailed to Salem, Massachusetts in 1630; William Audley to Barbados in 1635; Margaret Audless to America in 1746; W.R. Audling to Baltimore in 1823.

Citations +

Burke, John Bernard, The Roll of Battle Abbey. London: Edward Churton, 26, Holles Street, 1848, Print.
Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print