Ottely History, Family Crest & Coats of ArmsEtymology of OttelyWhat does the name Ottely mean? In ancient Anglo-Saxon England, the ancestors of the Ottely surname lived in the parish of Oteley found in the counties of Shropshire, Suffolk and the West Riding of Yorkshire. 1 Ottely is derived from the Old English elements "ote," or "oats" and "leah," meaning "a clearing." 2 Otley in the West Riding of Yorkshire as "in the Domesday Survey [as] Othelia, is supposed to have derived the name from Othe or Otho, its Saxon proprietor. It formed the principal portion of an extensive manor or liberty, which was granted by Athelstan to the see of York. The archbishops had a residence here, and their successors to this day are lords of the manor and liberty." 3 Early Origins of the Ottely familyThe surname Ottely was first found in Suffolk where the first record of the family was found in the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 as Richard de Otteleye. Kirby's Quest lists "Henry Otleghe, Somerset, Edward III" 4 (Henry Otleghe held lands in Somerset during the reign of Edward III.) Tor de Ottalay was listed in Yorkshire (1148-1156); Thomas de Otteleg was found in the Curia Regis Rolls for 1225 in Suffolk; and Paulinus de Otteley was found in the Feet of Fines for Yorkshire in 1301. 5 Later the Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379 listed Mary Henry Hotlay as living there at that time. 6 Early History of the Ottely familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Ottely research. Another 161 words (12 lines of text) covering the years 1425, 1434, 1601, 1626, 1643, 1644, 1646, 1649, 1661, 1670, 1716 and 1723 are included under the topic Early Ottely History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Ottely Spelling VariationsIt is only in the last few hundred years that the English language has been standardized. For that reason, early Anglo-Saxon surnames like Ottely are characterized by many spelling variations. As the English language changed and incorporated elements of other European languages, even literate people changed the spelling of their names. The variations of the name Ottely include: Ottley, Otley, Oatley, Oteley, Oatly and others. Early Notables of the Ottely familyNotables of the family at this time include Sir Francis Ottley (1601-1649), English Royalist knight, military governor of Shrewsbury in 1643 and later High Sheriff of Shropshire (1644-1646)... Migration of the Ottely familyMany English families tired of political and religious strife left Britain for the new colonies in North America. Although the trip itself offered no relief - conditions on the ships were extremely cramped, and many travelers arrived diseased, starving, and destitute - these immigrants believed the opportunities that awaited them were worth the risks. Once in the colonies, many of the families did indeed prosper and, in turn, made significant contributions to the culture and economies of the growing colonies. An inquiry into the early roots of North American families has revealed a number of immigrants bearing the name Ottely or a variant listed above: Thomas Otley, who is on record in Virginia in 1618; Abraham and Adam Otley, who both arrived in Lynn, Massachusetts in 1641; Darcy Oatly, who was on record in Virginia in 1657.
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