Show ContentsTemplay History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The ancestors of the bearers of the Templay family name are thought have lived in ancient Anglo-Saxon England. They were first found in an area that was close to the temple. Templay is a topographic surname, which was given to a person who resided near a physical feature such as a hill, stream, church, or type of tree. During the Middle Ages, as society became more complex, individuals needed a way to be distinguishable from others. Toponymic surnames were developed as a result of this need. Various features in the landscape or area were used to distinguish people from one another. In this case the original bearers of the surname Templay were named due to their close proximity to the temple or the place of worship.

Early Origins of the Templay family

The surname Templay was first found in Cheshire where they held a family seat from very ancient times, and said to be descended from Leofric, the Saxon Earl of Chester, who died in 1057 before the Conquest. He left issue, Algar, Earl of Mercia and East Anglia, and the son Henry who obtained land from Robert, Earl of Leicester in the form of the Manor of Temple in Leicestershire. 1 One line of this name claim Burton Dassett, Warwickshire as their ancestral home.

Much father to the south and west, we found this interesting note about the parish of Temple, Cornwall. "However applicable the name of this parish might have been to it in former years, nothing can be more injudicious than its present appropriation, since the whole district contains no place of worship whatever, and only three cottages in which human beings reside. The manor and church of Temple belonged originally to the Knights Templars, to whom were given many peculiar privileges. This order was founded in the year 1118, when Godfrey de St. Omer, Hugh de Pagans, and several others offered their services to Baldwin, king of Jerusalem, to defend the pilgrims travelling thither from robbery and violence. Baldwin, to reward their services, bestowed upon them a house near the Temple, in consequence of which they were called Knights Templars. When the Knights Templars and their retinue deserted the place, their tenants, not having their possessions, followed their example. Their chapel was then suffered to fall into ruin." 2

Early History of the Templay family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Templay research. Another 100 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1555, 1567, 1599, 1600, 1606, 1611, 1613, 1627, 1628, 1634, 1637, 1641, 1645, 1653, 1657, 1663, 1669, 1670, 1674, 1677, 1680, 1697, 1699, 1718 and 1749 are included under the topic Early Templay History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Templay Spelling Variations

Until quite recently, the English language has lacked a definite system of spelling rules. Consequently, Anglo-Saxon surnames are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. Changes in Anglo-Saxon names were influenced by the evolution of the English language, as it incorporated elements of French, Latin, and other languages. Although Medieval scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded, so it is common to find one person referred to by several different spellings of his surname, even the most literate people varied the spelling of their own names. Variations of the name Templay include Temple, Tempell, Temples and others.

Early Notables of the Templay family

Distinguished members of the family include Sir Thomas Temple (1567- ca. 1637), English landowner and Member of Parliament, created 1st Baronet Temple of Stowe, Buckinghamshire in 1611; Peter Temple (ca. 1599-1663) of Temple Hall, an English politician who sat in the House of Commons between 1645 and 1653, one of the Regicides of King Charles I; James Temple (1606-1680), a puritan and English Civil War soldier from Rochester, Kent who...
Another 70 words (5 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Templay Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Ireland Migration of the Templay family to Ireland

Some of the Templay family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 103 words (7 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Templay family

Searching for a better life, many English families migrated to British colonies. Unfortunately, the majority of them traveled under extremely harsh conditions: overcrowding on the ships caused the majority of the immigrants to arrive diseased, famished, and destitute from the long journey across the ocean. For those families that arrived safely, modest prosperity was attainable, and many went on to make invaluable contributions to the development of the cultures of the new colonies. Research into the origins of individual families in North America revealed records of the immigration of a number of people bearing the name Templay or a variant listed above: Edward Temple, who arrived in Virginia in 1623; Agnes Temple, who came to Virginia in 1670; Christina Tempel, who settled in Philadelphia in 1772; as well as James Temple, who settled in Virginia in New York in 1823..



The Templay Motto +

The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.

Motto: Templa quam dilecta
Motto Translation: Temples, how beloved.


  1. Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
  2. Hutchins, Fortescue, The History of Cornwall, from the Earliest Records and Traditions to the Present Time. London: William Penaluna, 1824. Print


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