Tansley History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

Early Origins of the Tansley family

The surname Tansley was first found in Derbyshire at Tansley, a hamlet, in the parish of Crich, union of Bakewell, hundred of Wirksworth. 1 The first record of this family was Hemming de Taneslea who was listed in the Pipe Rolls of Derbyshire in 1175. 2

The hamlet of Tansley dates back to the Domesday Book of 1086 where it was first recorded as Taneslege. 3 The place name probably meant "woodland clearing of a man called Tan," from the Old English personal name + "leah." 4

Early History of the Tansley family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Tansley research. Another 69 words (5 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Tansley History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Tansley 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. Tansley has been recorded under many different variations, including Tansley, Tansleigh and others.

Early Notables of the Tansley family

Notables of the family at this time include

Sir John Tansley

Tansley migration to the United States +

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 Tansley or a variant listed above:

Tansley Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

John Tansley, who arrived in Philadelphia in 1865
Miss Maria Tansley, aged 19, British settler who arrived in New York aboard the ship "Cynosure" in 1863

Tansley migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Tansley Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

James Tansley, English convict from Bedford, who was transported aboard the "Asia" on July 29th, 1823, settling in Van Diemen's Land, Australia 5
Mr. James Tansley, English convict who was convicted in Hertford, Hertfordshire, England for 10 years, transported aboard the "Barossa" on 8th December 1839, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 6

Tansley migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Tansley Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Miss Rebecca Tansley, Scottish settler travelling from Glasgow aboard the ship "Sevilla" arriving in Dunedin, Otago, South Island, New Zealand on 2nd December 1859 7
Mr. Henry Tansley, Scottish settler travelling from Glasgow aboard the ship "Sevilla" arriving in Dunedin, Otago, South Island, New Zealand on 2nd December 1859 7
Mr. Frederick Tansley, Scottish settler travelling from Glasgow aboard the ship "Sevilla" arriving in Dunedin, Otago, South Island, New Zealand on 2nd December 1859 7

Contemporary Notables of the name Tansley (post 1700) +

Sir Arthur George Tansley (1871-1955), English botanist
Sir Eric Tansley,
Frederick Tansley Munnings (b. 1875), British spiritualist medium and former burglar
Hilda Tansley Munnings (1896-1974), birth name of Lydia Sokolova, an English ballerina, daughter of Frederick Tansley Munnings

Citations +

Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
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)
State Library of Queensland. (Retrieved 2016, October 27) Asia 1 voyage to Van Diemen's Land, Australia in 1823 with 151 passengers. Retrieved from http://www.convictrecords.com.au/ships/asia/1823
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 24th September 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/barossa
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 26th March 2019). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html