The name Hadley is of ancient origin and is
found in several English counties, including Suffolk, Middlesex,
Hartford, Stafford and Somerset. It is a place name and most
authorities on British surnames agree that "Hadley " is
compounded of two old Anglo-Saxon words which mean "a wild
heath where cattle graze."
Not only did individuals in early England take
their surnames from where they lived, as did the Hadleys,
according to Gupy, but they gave their family name to places of
residence. Consequently, we find such names as Monken-Hadley in
Middlesex and Willeton-Hadley and WithyCombe-Hadley in Somerset,
the latter derived from Alexander Hadley and his Descendants, Who
held these and other manors in Somerset. (Savage - History of
Carhampton).
As a family, Hadley appears in England from very
early times in various forms. We find it in the 12th Century as
de Haddeleigh and de Haddesley. A little bit later Cadogan de
Hadley simplified the spelling which was retained by he
descendants who lived in Cheshire. (See Visitation of Cheashire,
1580.) A little later the name appears as Hadleigh, but as early
as the 14th century it is found spelled Hadley or Hadly, and
these forms were continued in Ireland, where the name has never
been a common one. (See Henry Gray, London).
When the Quaker Hadleys went from Ireland to
Pennsylvania in 1712, both of these forms, with or without the
"e", were used by members of the same family.
In addition to Cadohan de Hadley referred to, we
have some information regarding several individuals who bore the
name early times. IN the Calendar of letter Books of the city of
London, we learn of Sir John Hadley (Hadeley), who in 1369 was
elected to Parliament. In the account of "Sums of money lent
to the Lord the King", we read that Sir John lent King
Edward III
[ 1312-1377 King of England 1327-1377 ] the
sum of twenty-six pounds, thirteen shillings, and four pence. The
year 1371 saw turbulouse times in London and Sir John Hadeley
"was, by the King's orders, arrested and delivered into the
custody of the Constable of the Tower of London, there to be kept
during the King's pleasure." We wonder if this misfortune
befell Sir John as a result of trying to collect from his royal
debtor. He was a member of the powerful Pepperers Guild, and on
his release from the Tower, he was appointed with one other to
supervise the expenditure of all money coming to the Chamber of
the Guild Hall "for the business and necessities of the
commonality" . (See Calendar of Letters - Books of the City
of London.
In 1379 he was elected Lord Mayor of London, to
which office he was re-elected in 1393. For arms he bore: aza
chevron between three annulets or, over all on a fesse on the
second, as many martlels, gu.
A little later we know of Sir Robert Hadley of
Suffolk (see Suffolk Wills) and in the next century the records
of several Hadleys are preserved. Later, in 1625, George Hadley
of London and Somerset was born, and in addition to being of
consequence himself, he was the ancestor of several Hadleys of
note. George Hadley moved from London to East Barnet, Middlesex,
where he purchased Osidge in 1652 as a place of residence. At his
death he was survived by his son, George, who inherited Osidge; A
daughter, Ann, who married Arthur Herbert, the celebrated Admiral
and Earl of Torrington'; and Mary, wife of Sir William D' Oyley
of Shottisham (From East Barnet, by F. C. Cass, M. A., Rector of
Monken Hadley, Middlesex).
George Hadley's arms were (gu) two chevrons
between three falcons or, beaked, legged and belled or; crest on
a wreath a falcon or, beaked, legged and belled or, holding in
his mouth a buckle of the last. (see Burke "General
Armory"). In addition to Osidge, members of this family
resided also at Church Hill House (Cass). The writer has in his
possession an indenture signed by George Hadley for the sale made
by him of Norton-Mairewood in Somerset, "made the ninety day
of July in the second year of the reign of our Sovraigne Lord,
James the Second, by the Grace of God, etc". George Hadley
was deputy lieutenant and afterwards High Sheriff of Herfordshire
(see Distonare, National Biography).
Among his male descendants were: John Hadley,
the mathematician, born 1682, who improved the reflection
telescope and was Vice-President of the Royal Society; another
George Hadley of Lincoln Inn; Henry Hadley of Gray's Inn; John
Hadley, Fellow of Queen's college, Cambridge, and Henry Hadley of
Warwick Court, a noted surgeon. (Cass-East Barnett)
Arms of Hadleys in England include the
following: (Burke) gu. a chevron or; gu, a chevron between three
falcons or; az. a chevron and fesse or. in chief three annulets
or; gu. three plates; gu. a chevron or, between three plates;
overall a fesse az. or, a pair of compasses in base an annulet
sa; gu. three chevronels or between as many falcons belled ar. in
third center chief point, a buckle, the tongue erect of the
second; gu on a chevron ar. three cross crosslets sa (to which
was afterwards added, ato Thomas Girard of Trent), a chief or,
with a bear sa. as alluding to the Hadley's descent from
Futzurse; gu. on a chevron or. three crosses palance of the
first; gu on a chevron or, three crosses moline of the first. A
crest which was used with some of these arms showed a falcon
holding in his beak, or else in the dexter claw, a buckle. A
motto found with some of these arms was "Deo Auxilium Mini
Est", or God is my help.
The above references to various Hadleys in
England have been given as of some interest, but only one
reference has been made to the Somerset Hadleys, although
tradition, corroborated to some extent by records, is to the
effect that the branch of the Hadleys who were in Ireland at a
later date were descended from the Somerset family of that name.
The name does not appear in the earliest Somersetshire records
and the first of the name in that county seems to have been
Alexander Hadley, born about 1375. Who took up residence in
Somerset at his marriage. Through his marriage with Alice,
daughter and heiress of Sir Ralph Durborough, Alexander Hadley
came into possession of the manors of Williton, Withycombe,
Heathfield, and other lands (Collinson-History of Somerset). Part
of these Holdings had been in the family Futzursse, which had
possessed them in very early times after the Norman Conquest.
In the early years of Henry II's reign, Sir
Reginald Futzurse had his residence at Willeton. This Sir
Reginald was the principal person concerned [
Reportedly gave the signal to strike ] in the killing of
Thomas A. Becket, [ December 29,1170 ]
Archbishop of Canterbury, under whom he had served as a Knight
while Chancellor of England. Fitzurse, with his fellow
conspirators, were distinguished by nobility of descent and were
favorites of King Henry II, but because of their act they had to
retire privately to Rome, where they were absolved by the Pope
only on condition that they pass the remainder of their days in
penitence at the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem. Thither they
accordingly went and soon after the year 1171, Sir Reginald
bestowed the major portion of his lands on his brother, Sir
Robert Fitzurse, whose descendant and heiress several generation
later carried them to the Durborough family (Savage-"History
of Carhampton, etc.") when in turn they came through Alice
Durborough to her husband Alexander Hadley. (see Collinson
"History of Somerset").
In the second year of Edward IV [ 1462 or 1472 depending on whether before or
after his excile by Henry VI ] there was drawn up a letter
of attorney of Thomas Kyngeston for delivery of seisen of lands,
etc. at Williton Watchet, etc. to Alexander Hadley and Alice, his
wife, with remainder to John Hadley, their son and heir apparent,
(The Ancestor). A little later Elizabeth Hadley, gentlewoman,
signed over certain properties to her brother, this same John
Hadley.
John Hadley married Joan, daughter of Richard
Hadley, who married Philipa, the daughter of Sir Humphrey Audley,
Knight, and his wife, Elizabeth Courtenay, daughter of Sir Philip
Courtenay of Powderham Castle (Collinson-"History of
Somerset"). Richard Hadley's wife, Philipa Audley, was
descended from to illustrious houses. Her father Sir Humphry
Audley was a brother of Lord Audley and was descended from Adam
de Aldithley, who lived in the reign of Henry the First and was
the first Baron Audley of Heleigh (Burke-Peerage).
Sir Humphry Audley with his kinsmen were strong
supporters of the House of Lancaster during the War of the Roses,
and he himself was captured by the Yorkists at the Battle of
Tewkesbury in 1461, and after imprisonment was beheaded. (see
Maxwell-Lyte). Philipa Audley's mother, Elizabeth Courtenay, was
the daughter of Sir Philip Courtenay and his wife, a daughter of
Walter, Lord Hungerford. Elizabeth Courtenay's great grandfather,
Hugh Courtenay, the second great Earl of Devon, married Margared,
the daughter of Humphry Bohun, Earl of Hereford and Essed, and
Lord High Constable of England, and his wife, Elizabeth
Plantagenet, daughter of King Edward I
[ 1239-1307 King of England 1272-1307 ]
and Eleanor of Castile [ died 1290 daughter
of Ferdinand III, King of Castile and Leon ]. Elizabeth
Courtenay's brother, Sir Peter Courtenay, was secretary to Edward
IV, and her nephew, William Courtenay, married Catherine, a
daughter of the monarch (Maxwell Lyte "History of
Dunster"). In 1476, Elizabeth Courtenay, or Lady Adley as
she was then, stood Godmother at Tewkesbury where her husband had
lately been executed, to Richard, the short-lived son of George,
Duke of Clarence, brother of the King, who had been her protector
during the difficulties which had beset her in those troubulous
times.
Richard Hadley and his wife Philipa had several
children, James, Sir Henry, George, Sir John who afterwards lived
at Bruyton, Sir William, whose seat was at Barlinche, and two
daughters, Ann and Jane (see Somerset Medieval Wills). When James
Hadley came of marriageable age, his father entered into
arrangements with Christopher Matthew of Glamorgan for his
marriage with Friedeswide Matthew (The Ancestor). Questions of
the bride's dowry, etc. were settled, after which the marriage
took place. After the death of his first wife, James Hadley
married Elizabeth------------------. By his first wife, he had
Children : Christopher, John, James Thomas, Ann and Rachel.
"Wills I didn't Copy" This is the end
of the first half the next is the first and second generations in
the US.
I don't have the rest of
this document at this time but still thought it interesting. I
checked some of the information with the encyclopedia and it
seems to be accurate, or at least as accurate as I can tell. My
own comments are inside the brackets [ ] in order to give a time
frame to the above document.
Bill Walsh
Furthur notes on the earley Hadley's
by Chalmers Hadley
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