The Anglo-Saxon name Pursely comes from when the family resided in Purslow, in Shropshire. The place-name is derived from the Old English personal name Pussa and the Old English word hlaw. A hlaw is a burial mound; in Modern English the word for a burial mound is tumulus, which is derived from Latin. The place-name as a whole means "burial mound of a man named Pussa."
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Early Origins of the Pursely family
The surname Pursely was first found in Shropshire at Purslow, a hamlet that dates back to the Domesday Book where it was listed as Possalau. The place name is derived from the Old English words personal name + hlaw, and literally means "tumulus (mound of earth and stones) of a man called Pussa." 1 Of interest is a certain Robert Parslow. " It is traditionally said that a military chest of money was left at the house of Robert Parslow, in the town [of Watlington in Oxfordshire], and never afterwards claimed, in consequence of which he bequeathed a liberal donation to the poor of the parish." 2
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Early History of the Pursely family
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Pursely research. Another 61 words (4 lines of text) covering the years 1500, 1533, 1558, 1559, 1563 and 1579 are included under the topic Early Pursely History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
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Pursely 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. Pursely has been recorded under many different variations, including Purslow, Purseglove, Purselove, Pursley, Pursly and others.
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Early Notables of the Pursely family
Another 50 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Pursely Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
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Migration of the Pursely 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 Pursely or a variant listed above: James Pursley settled in Barbados in 1679; David, George, Robert and William Pursley all arrived in Philadelphia between 1840 and 1870; John Purslow (Purslone) arrived in Philadelphia in 1677.
England
