Early Origins of the Checkley family
Staffordshire at Checkley, a village and civil parish in the district of Staffordshire Moorlands. There are actually two other Checkley villages: one in Cheshire and another in Herefordshire. Both of the latter are dated after the Domesday Book while the former was originally listed there as Cedla and later in 1196 as Chekeleg. All of the place names literally meant "wood or clearing of a man called Ceaddica or Ceacca." CITATION[CLOSE]
Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4) Conjecturally, the surname is descended from the tenant of the lands of Checkley, held by Otto from the King, a Norman noble who was recorded in the Domesday Book census of 1086.
Checkley Hall is a small country house in the parish of Checkley cum Wrinehill, Cheshire. It was built in 1694 by the Delves family of Doddington.
Early History of the Checkley family
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Checkley research.
Another 200 words (14 lines of text) covering the years 1190, 1281 and 1447 are included under the topic Early Checkley History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Checkley Spelling Variations
Before English spelling was standardized a few hundred years ago, spelling variations of names were a common occurrence. Elements of Latin, Norman French and other languages became incorporated into English throughout the Middle Ages, and name spellings changed even among the literate. The variations of the surname Checkley include Checkley, Checkleigh, Checklee, Checkly, Chackley, Chackly and many more.
Early Notables of the Checkley family (pre 1700)
More information is included under the topic Early Checkley Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Migration of the Checkley family to Ireland
Some of the Checkley family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 74 words (5 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 Checkley family to the New World and Oceana
In England at this time, the uncertainty of the political and religious environment of the time caused many families to board ships for distant British colonies in the hopes of finding land and opportunity, and escaping persecution. The voyages were expensive, crowded, and difficult, though, and many arrived in North America sick, starved, and destitute. Those who did make it, however, were greeted with greater opportunities and freedoms that they could have experienced at home. Many of those families went on to make important contributions to the young nations in which they settled. Early immigration records have shown some of the first Checkleys to arrive on North American shores:
Checkley Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
Checkley Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
Checkley Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century
Checkley Family Crest Products