Pursly History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

The present generation of the Pursly family is only the most recent to bear a name that dates back to the ancient Anglo-Saxon culture of Britain. Their name comes from having lived 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."

Early Origins of the Pursly family

The surname Pursly 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

Early History of the Pursly family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Pursly research. Another 61 words (4 lines of text) covering the years 1500, 1533, 1558, 1559, 1563 and 1579 are included under the topic Early Pursly History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Pursly Spelling Variations

Until the dictionary, an invention of only the last few hundred years, the English language lacked any comprehensive system of spelling rules. Consequently, spelling variations in names are frequently found in early Anglo-Saxon and later Anglo-Norman documents. One person's name was often spelled several different ways over a lifetime. The recorded variations of Pursly include Purslow, Purseglove, Purselove, Pursley, Pursly and others.

Early Notables of the Pursly family

Another 50 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Pursly Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Pursly migration to the United States +

Thousands of English families boarded ships sailing to the New World in the hope of escaping the unrest found in England at this time. Although the search for opportunity and freedom from persecution abroad took the lives of many because of the cramped conditions and unsanitary nature of the vessels, the opportunity perceived in the growing colonies of North America beckoned. Many of the settlers who survived the journey went on to make important contributions to the transplanted cultures of their adopted countries. The Pursly were among these contributors, for they have been located in early North American records:

Pursly Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

John Pursly, who settled in Virginia in 1751

Citations +

Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.