Remly History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

Etymology of Remly

What does the name Remly mean?

The name Remly reached English shores for the first time with the ancestors of the Remly family as they migrated following the Norman Conquest of 1066. The Remly family lived in Cambridgeshire. Their name, however, is a reference to Romily, near Eure, Normandy, the family's place of residence prior to the Norman Conquest of England in 1066. 1

Early Origins of the Remly family

The surname Remly was first found in Cambridgeshire where they were anciently Lords of the Manor. The family emerged from Normandy where they held a knights fee at Eure, in the arrondisement of Les Andelys, in the canton of Fleury-sur-Andelle. At what time Richard de Romilly arrived to have an interest in the villages of Girton and Barton in the county of Cambridge is unknown. There was conflict between two Norman nobles, Roger de Tosny and Richard de Romilly between 1190 and 1200. Overriding this dispute was another Norman Lord, Gilbert de Miners, who eventually lost these lands, and other unnamed lands in Buckinghamshire.

The Pipe Rolls for Oxfordshire show entries for Alexander de Romeilli in 1190 and Alexander Rumeilli in 1193 (these may be the same person). Early Cumberland records list Alice de Romeilli in 1197 and Alice de Rumelly in Yorkshire in 1230. Alan de Romely who is listed in the Assize Rolls for Staffordshire "may have come from Romiley, Cheshire." 2

The Hundredorum Rolls of 1237 included entries for Robert de Romeley, Cambridgeshire; Baldwin de Romeli, Cambridgeshire; and Lucia de Romely, Cambridgeshire. 3

"William de Romillé was the first Baron of Skipton, Yorkshire." 4 "The great grandfather of the late Sir Samuel Romilly 'had a pretty good landed estate at Montpellier in the south of France.' His son, in the year 1701, being a Protestant, visited Geneva, for the sole purpose of receiving the sacrament, and, by the advice of the celebrated theologian, Saurin, instead of returning to Montpellier, set out for London, and thus at length established the family in England. Memoirs of Sir S. Romilly, vol. i., p. 2. The name may have been borrowed from the town of Romilly, in Savoy, near Geneva. " 5

Early History of the Remly family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Remly research. Another 224 words (16 lines of text) covering the years 1086, 1757, 1791, 1802, 1818, 1856, 1864, 1874, 1879, 1891 and 1892 are included under the topic Early Remly History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Remly Spelling Variations

Before the advent of the printing press and the first dictionaries, the English language was not standardized. Sound was what guided spelling in the Middle Ages, so one person's name was often recorded under several variations during a single lifetime. Spelling variations were common, even among the names of the most literate people. Known variations of the Remly family name include Remely, Remelly, Remilly, Remmilly, Remilley, Remiley, Romilly, Rommilly, Romiley and many more.

Early Notables of the Remly family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was Sir Samuel Romilly (1757-1818), law reformer, youngest son of Peter Romilly, jeweller, of Frith Street, Soho, by Margaret, daughter of Aimé Garnault, was born in Westminster on 1 March 1757. His father was a younger son of Etienne Romilly, a Huguenot of good family and estate, who fled from Montpellier to England on the revocation of the edict of Nantes, by Judith, second daughter of François de Montsallier, merchant, of Shoreditch. 6Joseph Romilly (1791-1864), Registrary of the University of Cambridge, born in 1791, was son of Thomas Peter Romilly of London, by his...
Another 162 words (12 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Remly Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Remly family

To escape the political and religious chaos of this era, thousands of English families began to migrate to the New World in search of land and freedom from religious and political persecution. The passage was expensive and the ships were dark, crowded, and unsafe; however, those who made the voyage safely were encountered opportunities that were not available to them in their homeland. Many of the families that reached the New World at this time went on to make important contributions to the emerging nations of the United States and Canada. Research into various historical records has revealed some of first members of the Remly family to immigrate North America: Ambrose Remely who settled in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1749.

The Remly 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: Persevere

Sources +

The Norman People and Their Existing Descendants in the British Dominions and the United States Of America. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing, 1975. Print. (ISBN 0-8063-0636-X)
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
Barber, Henry, British Family Names London: Elliot Stock, 62 Paternoster Row, 1894. Print.
Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print