Tankesley History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

Early Origins of the Tankesley family

The surname Tankesley was first found in West Riding of Yorkshire at Tankersley, a village and civil parish in the Metropolitan Borough of Barnsley. 1

The village dates back to the Domesday Book of 1086 when it was listed as Tancreslei 2 and literally meant "woodland clearing of a man called Tata" having derived for the Old English personal name + ing + tun. 3

At that time, the land was held by Richard of Sourdeval and was quite small with 3 villagers and had enough land for 2 ploughs. 2 Roger Tankerlayman was listed as Freeman or York in 1387. 4

Early History of the Tankesley family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Tankesley research. Another 125 words (9 lines of text) covering the years 1455, 1487, 1510 and 1600 are included under the topic Early Tankesley History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Tankesley Spelling Variations

Before the last few hundred years, the English language had no fast system of spelling rules. For that reason, spelling variations are commonly found in early Anglo-Saxon surnames. Over the years, many variations of the name Tankesley were recorded, including Tankersley, Tankesley, Tankisle, Tankersly, Tankerslie, Tankerslee and many more.

Early Notables of the Tankesley family

More information is included under the topic Early Tankesley Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Tankesley family

To escape oppression and starvation at that time, many English families left for the "open frontiers" of the New World with all its perceived opportunities. In droves people migrated to the many British colonies, those in North America in particular, paying high rates for passages in cramped, unsafe ships. Although many of the settlers did not make the long passage alive, those who did see the shores of North America perceived great opportunities before them. Many of the families that came from England went on to make essential contributions to the emerging nations of Canada and the United States. Research into various historical records revealed some of first members of the Tankesley family emigrate to North America: the name represented in many forms and recorded from the mid 17th century in the great migration from Europe. Migrants settled in the eastern seaboard from Newfoundland, to Maine, to Virginia, the Carolinas, and to the islands..

Citations +

Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)