The Medley Family Tree based on the Medley Omnibus
This site has been developed from the extensive research that was firstly undertaken by William Medley, then by his grandson Dudley Julius Medley, and then by his son Ralph Cyril Medley. Ralph Medley was fortunate to connect with Tom Siddall, who's grandmother was a Medley, and with Christopher Peter Medley. Together, these three wrote and published A Medley Omnibus 4th Revision in 1993. In 2010, this was updated by George Juilus Medley with the assistance of Robin Harold Medley and Peter Naylor, who's grandmother was a Medley. This website is based on that 5th Edition.
Bardsley’s Dictionary of English Surnames 1901 gives:
(a) At the mid-lea i.e residence in the middle field.
(b) At the mead-lea i.e. residence in the meadow pasture.
H.Harrison’s Surnames of the United Kingdom Vol. II 1918 gives:
(a) The meadow field derived from Old English moed + leah.
(b) The middle lea derived from Old English midd + leah.
Such may, indeed, have been the origin of the name of the township or Manor of Methley but our research indicates that the early ancestors of all existing Medley branches used the territorial designation “de Methley” to show residence in, or possession of land in, the Manor of Methley, near Leeds in Yorkshire, and that this was adopted as a “locative surname” by James de Methley about 1230. Various different spellings such as Metherly, Madeley, Metlay and others can be found down the years, until MEDLEY became generally to be accepted as the Family Name in the 16th Century.
THE MEDLEY ARMS
1. The earliest Arms recorded at the College of Arms are “Sable, two bars gemelles on a chief argent three mullets sable”. (Medley of Newstead, Co. York 1530).
2. A slight variation, “two pierced mullets sable”, is entered for Medley of London and Loose (Kent) in 1668.
3. Burke’s General Armory 1884 gives another version, “Argent, two bars gemelles sable in chief three mullets pierced of the last”, and attributes these to Medley of Buxted, Sussex.
4. Burke also gives the first mentioned Arms for Medley of Co. Warwick, and this is confirmed by the Herald’s Visitation of Warwickshire, 1619.
5. Smith’s Ordinary 1599 gives “three pierced mullets sable” for Medley of Co. York.
6. A 17th Century MS (E.D.N.Alphabet), at the College of Arms, gives “Barry of eight argent and sable in chief three mullets sable” for Medley of York. These also appear on the brass of George Medley in Tilty Church, Essex.
7. A publication entitled “Knights of Derby and Nottingham temp. Edward I” attributes “Barry of six sable and argent on a chief of the last three mullets pierced of the first” to Methley of Estley.
8. In the Visitation of York 1484/5 “Argent, two bars gemelles sable on a chief of the first three mullets pierced sable” are given for Methley of Thornhill, near Dewsbury.
9. In the Visitation of Nottinghamshire 1619, the Arms of Methley of Elston (possibly the same place as (7) above) are given as “Argent three bars and in chief three pierced mullets sable”.
THE MEDLEY CREST
"A tiger sejant vert tufted and maned or" was granted to Robert Medley of London, ancestor of the Sussex branch, on 25th June 1580
Before the conquest, Ossulf held the Manor of Methley together with land in ten
other localities in South Yorkshire, in all about 3800 acres.
After 1066 it seems that all this land was granted to Ilbert de Laci, one of King William’s leaders, who came from Lessay in Brittany and who later became Earl of Lincoln. However, he allowed Ossulf to retain Methley, Thornhill and High Hoyland as his sub-tenant. Aisolf was probably the latter’s son or grandson.
Domesday Book says: “In Medelai Osulf (and Cnut) had eight Carucates (about 960 acres) where 5 ploughs can be”.
The de Methleys became Lords of the Manor of Methley (held from the de Lacis)
in the mid 1200s. Sometime between 1311 and 1343 it was gifted to the Hospital
of St. Nicholas at Pontefract, to which the de Methleys continued to give fealty
in respect of that Manor until the Waterton family became Lords in 1410. It later passed to the Dymokes and in 1590 to the Savilles, ancestors of the Earls
of Mexborough. Methley Hall is now (1990) the site of a Hospital.
I have been fortunate in being contacted by Tom Siddall, who’s grandmother was a Medley, and of renewing acquaintance with Christopher Medley, both of whom, quite independently, had been working on various Medley pedigrees. In close collaboration we have been able to prove, with a high degree of certainty, our common ancestry back to the de Methleys of the late 1100s and, in so doing, to establish relationship, albeit distantly, with the Sussex, Pontefract and Warwickshire lines. Certain other families of the same name, such as the Brotherton and Birkyn ones, remain to be dealt with.
This new volume, then, is intended to be an Omnibus of Medley lines, past and present, proven up to the date of publication.
During the course of research it has become apparent that both the de Methley pedigree, contained in the Dodsworth Papers in the Bodleian Library, and that of the Medley family, published in Miscellanea Genealogica et Heraldica, 2nd Series, ed. J.Howard 1892, contain certain inaccuracies which we have disproved by the close scrutiny of early sources. These we have amended but, nevertheless, it must be observed that some such records are undoubtedly contradictory, so that it can only be claimed that our interpretation of the available data represents the most likely relationship and dating of the characters portrayed. Thus the qualification “E & OE” is added herewith.
The Compiler is most grateful to Tom Siddall and Chris Medley for their permission to include the results of their personal research herein. Without their splendid cooperation this book could not have been written.
He is also most grateful to his nephew, George Medley, for editing and producing this volume, as he did on a previous occasion.
The top surnames on this website
We make every effort to document our research. If you have something you would like to add, please contact us.
