Tabley History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

Etymology of Tabley

What does the name Tabley mean?

Cornwall, one of the original six "Celtic nations" is the homeland to the surname Tabley. A revival of the Cornish language which began in the 9th century AD has begun. No doubt this was the language spoken by distant forebears of the Tabley family. Though surnames became common during medieval times, English people were formerly known only by a single name. The way in which hereditary surnames were adopted in medieval England is fascinating. Many Cornish surnames appear to be topographic surnames, which were given to people who resided near physical features such as hills, streams, churches, or types of trees, many are actually habitation surnames. The name Tabley is a local type of surname and the Tabley family lived in Devon in village of Tapeley. The village name literally means "wood where pegs were cut." 1

Early Origins of the Tabley family

The surname Tabley was first found in Devon where the name is associated with the village of Tapeley. At the taking of the Domesday census in 1086 Tapeley was held by Osbern, a Norman Baron, who held it from the Bishop of Countances. The source Testa de Nevill, sive Liber Feodorum, temp. Henry III-Edward I has two early listings for the family, both in Devon: Adam de Tapplegh and Robert de Tapplegh. 2

However, some of the family were well established as Tabley Inferior in Cheshire from ancient times. "Tabley House, the seat of Lord de Tabley, is replete with natural and artificial embellishments. The ancient house, the former seat of the family, is, with good taste, preserved; it is a fine specimen of the old habitations of the aristocracy of the country, and is situated on an island." 3

Continuing the quest in Cheshire, the parish of Knutsford was also found to be an ancient family seat. "At the Conquest, Knutsford formed part of the barony of Halton, but in the reign of Edward I. it came into the possession of Sir William de Tabley, who obtained for it a charter of incorporation and various privileges." 3

One of the first records of the family was Adam de Tabley, Lord of Cheadle (1270-1306), son of Roger d'Eiville, father of William de Tabley (born c. 1275.) This William is presumed to be the aforementioned Sir William. He had at least one daughter, Katherine de Tabley (1310-1390) who with her sisters(?) sold the estate in small parcels to the Masseys, Egertons and Breretons. 4

Early History of the Tabley family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Tabley research. Another 63 words (4 lines of text) covering the years 1250, 1564, 1632 and 1745 are included under the topic Early Tabley History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Tabley Spelling Variations

Cornish surnames are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. The frequent changes in surnames are due to the fact that the Old and Middle English languages lacked definite spelling rules. The official court languages, which were Latin and French, were also influential on the spelling of a surname. Since the spelling of surnames was rarely consistent in medieval times, and scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded rather than adhering to any specific spelling rules, it was common to find the same individual referred to with different spellings of their surname in the ancient chronicles. Moreover, a large number of foreign names were brought into England, which accelerated and accentuated the alterations to the spelling of various surnames. Lastly, spelling variations often resulted from the linguistic differences between the people of Cornwall and the rest of England. The Cornish spoke a unique Brythonic Celtic language which was first recorded in written documents during the 10th century. However, they became increasingly Anglicized, and Cornish became extinct as a spoken language in 1777, although it has been revived by Cornish patriots in the modern era. The name has been spelled Tapley, Taplay, Tappleigh, Tapleigh, Taplegh, Tapplegh, Taplow, Taploe, Tapploe, Tapplow, Tapely, Tapply, Tarpley, Tarpleigh, Tarplow and many more.

Early Notables of the Tabley family

Another 28 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Tabley Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Tabley migration to the United States +

An inquiry into the early roots of North American families reveals a number of immigrants bearing the name Tabley or a variant listed above:

Tabley Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Winifrett Tabley, who arrived in Maryland in 1667 5

Citations +

Smith, Eldson Coles, New Dictionary of American Family Names New York: Harper & Row, 1956. Print
Testa de Nevill or "Liber Feodorum" or "Book of Fees," thought to have been written by Ralph de Nevill, for King John (1199–1216)
Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print
Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)