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- GENEALOGICAL RESEARCH INDEX -
The VARLEY Family of Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire (a local One-Name Study)

Geographical Introduction

Distribution of the family name in 1881 (above) and 2000-2005 data (below) shows a clear West Riding of Yorkshire & Lancashire focus,
and therefore the origins of the family are likely in that region.

The true origins of the VARLEY surname in England are unclear, but several possibilities are likely:

Ř An abandoned mediaeval village of that name;

Ř The nearest known place name in the core area is Varley Field, 1km NNE of Horton, Lancashire, close to the border with Yorkshire, as shown on the maps below. "ley" is already an Old English name for field, so the duplication of field may indicate that Varley Field is named after a person rather than a place. Var may be a person’s name of Viking origin;

Ř Origins outside of the region are possible since a Thomas de VARLEY is mentioned in Suffolk in 1275 & 1316 (probably a knight of Norman descent - as the name also occurs in France; Verli is a place in Aisne, Picardie, Northern France, from the Gallo-Roman personal name "Virilius", (a derivative of "Virilis", male, from "vir", a man), and is the likely roots of a Robert de Verli, a French lord, recorded in the Domesday Book of 1086, who was granted the manor of Salcott, Essex). This does not account for VARLEY being a regional name in the north of England, unless the knight was granted additional lands in the north;

 

 

 

The C19th VARLEY villages NW of Nottingham, including Heanor, Ilkeston (DBY), Eastwood, Kimberley, Brinsley & Greasley (NTT)

 

This family can be discussed on my Facebook research blog.
This synopsis was updated by “The Geneal Geologist” in January 2017.

Summary of Known VARLEY Ancestry

The head of my family are William VARLEY & Anne ALLIN who married in Apr 1760 at Heanor, Derbyshire, my 6xGGPs. It is possible William had several wives thereafter (or there several William VARLEYs in the town), which may include marriages to Martha SMITH in 1769, Hannah GOODWIN in 1772, Martha BIRCUMSHIRE/BIRCUMSHAW in 1783 & Hannah ELY in 1793.

Early children of William VARLEY at Heanor, from his first wife Ann, focussing on my related families who were involved in coalmining around Greasley, Nottinghamshire:

·       Thomas VARLEY (c1761) = Sarah WYLDE in 1786 - my 5xGGPs. See below;

·       William VARLEY (1762 Heanor-1812 Eastwood, NTT) first married Martha BIRCUMSHIRE in 1783 Heanor, but the marriage appears to have been short with no apparent issue. William then married Catherine MASSEY in 1784 Greasley, NTT. Children:

o   John VARLEY (1785 Greasley-1824 Kirkby in Ashfield) = Jane STARKEY in 1806 Greasley. Children at Greasley;

§  William VARLEY (1812-88) = m1 Margaret CHAMBERS (1814-59) in 1833 Nuthall (10 children) then Rosa SMITH (1817-90) in 1861 Kimberley, Nottinghamshire. Children of William & Margaret born at Greasley:

§  William VARLEY (1832-74) = Naomi WIDDOWSON. See descendants below;

§  Edmund VARLEY (1835);

§  Mary VARLEY (1835-50);

§  John VARLEY (1839-1906) was serving with the Royal Artillery, and his family is complicated due to international travel:

1 = unknown wife, possibly married c1863, possibly in South Africa. She died around 1866:

§  William Henry VARLEY (1865 South Africa – 1942 London) = Bertha Annie FLINDERS in 1890 (2 children);

§  James Edward VARLEY (1866-75) born in Shoeburyness, Essex;

2 = Ellen GLYNN (1846-1902) in 1866 Galway, Ireland:

§  John E VARLEY (1867 Galway-1943) = Esther WALKER in 1893;

§  Harriet VARLEY (1870 Jersey, Channel Islands-1871);

§  Frederick VARLEY (1872 Milford Haven, Wales-1892);

§  Alfred VARLEY (1874 Malta) – joined the Royal Artillery and then nothing further known;

§  Margaret Agnes VARLEY (1877 Malta-1950) = Sidney Walter MITCHELLS in 1896;

§  Florence VARLEY (1879 Malta);

§  Walter VARLEY (1881 Woolwich-1926) = Louisa Ellen GANE in 1906;

§  Charles VARLEY (1883 Nottingham-1954);

§  Ellen “Nellie” VARLEY (1884 Nottingham);

§  Martha VARLEY (1841-1908) = John SMART in 1860 then William GREEN in 1883;

§  Henry VARLEY (1844-1908) = Sarah HANSON in 1872 (5 children);

§  Harriet VARLEY (1848-1921) = Henry ANTCLIFFE in 1872 Caunton;

§  Meshack VARLEY (1850-58);

§  James Edmund VARLEY (1852-1934) = Sarah Ann WHITE in 1873 Mansfield (7 children) then Harriet PIKE (widow FEATHERSTONE) (3 further children) in Sutton in Ashfield;

§  Mary Jane VARLEY (1856-83?);

§  Harriet VARLEY (1814);

§  Elizabeth “Betty” VARLEY (1818) = Thomas CHAMBERS in 1837 Nuthall, but the couple lived in Greasley;

§  Mary VARLEY (1819) = John CLARKE in 1838 Greasley;

§  Edmund VARLEY (1819-1880):

1 = Mary HAND (1823-1851) in 1846

§  Martha VARLEY (1846);

§  John VARLEY (1848-1919) = Mary FARMER in 1872 (8 children);

§  Hannah VARLEY (1851);

2 = Elizabeth LIMB in 1854 Selston. Children in Greasley:

§  Frank VARLEY (1853-1933);

§  William VARLEY (1856);

§  Harriet VARLEY (1857-1923) = John FARNSWORTH in 1876;

§  Mary VARLEY (1859);

§  Ann VARLEY (1861-1933) = William TRAVERS in 1883;

§  Albert VARLEY (1863-64);

§  Zillah VARLEY (1866-1927) = Moses OATES in 1893;

§  Albert VARLEY (167-1946) = Sarah Ann EYRE in 1890 (5 children);

§  Eliza VARLEY (1869-1947) = Samuel Robert CHRICH in 1894;

 


Edmund VARLEY & his 2nd wife, Elizabeth LIMB

 

§  John VARLEY (1822-1854) = Emily SMITH in 1853 Greasley. A coalminer, he died 6 months after his marriage. It is not known if he had any issue;

 

·       Ann VARLEY (1766 of William & Ann) = George BIRCUMSHIRE in 1786 Heanor;

·       Mary VARLEY (1769 of William & Ann) = William EGGLISHAW in 1787 Heanor;

·       Elizabeth VARLEY (1774) = George WYLDE or WILDE in 1796; Heanor;

Children of William VARLEY & Hannah ELY/ELEY at Heanor include:

·       Luke VARLEY (1794);

·       George VARLEY (1796);

·       Luke VARLEY (1797);

·       Joseph VARLEY (1801) = Hannah VARLEY or SISON/SISSON in 1819. Eastwood children:

o   John VARLEY (1824);

o   William VARLEY (1830);

 then at Eastwood for:

·       Mary VARLEY (1803);

·       George VARLEY (1804);

·       John VARLEY (1805);

·       Mary VARLEY (1807);

·       John VARLEY (1809) =? Hannah BOOTH. Children at Brinsley:

o   William VARLEY (c1830-37?);

o   Samuel VARLEY (c1836);

o   James VARLEY (c1840);

o   John VARLEY (c1843);

·       Ann VARLEY (1811);

From above, descendants of William VARLEY (1832-74) & Naomi WIDDOWSON, who married in 1853 Nuthall, are:

·       William VARLEY (1857-68);

·       Betsy Alice VARLEY (1859-1923) = Solomon FERNIE in 1879 Nuthall;

·       Thomas Henry VARLEY (1860-1934) = Louisa KITCHEN (1866-1912) in 1883 Awsworth (8 children);

·       Margaret VARLEY (1863-1943) = Samuel BLATHERWICK in 1881 Awsworth, who was probably the father of her illegitimate child Samuel VARLEY (1880). Both Margaret and Samuel are separately my 4th Cousins 3x Removed (4C3R) through each family line;

 


Margaret VARLEY & her husband Samuel BLATHERWICK

 

·       James Edwin VARLEY (1867-1943) = Julia STANLEY in 1889 (3 children);

·       Lydia VARLEY (1870-1939) = Richard Henry LIMB in 1889;

·       William VARLEY (c1872) = Elizabeth BINCH in 1894 Awsworth (5 children);

·       Eli VARLEY (1874-74);

The children of Thomas VARLEY & Sarah WYLD, my 5xGGPs include:

·       Mary VARLEY (1787);

·       Joseph VARLEY (1792-1867) = Mary WAPLINGTON in 1816 Heanor. Children at Greasley & Ilkeston and then Co. Durham by 1833:

o   Thomas VARLEY (c1817 Heanor-1857 Durham);

o   John VARLEY (1818 Brinsley-1859 Durham) = Isabella KNOX in 1847 Kelloe, Durham (1 child);

o   William VARLEY (1821 Brinsley-1867 Chesterfield) = Margaret ROBSON in Clay Cross (no known issue);

o   Joseph VARLEY (1823-25);

o   Sarah VARLEY (1825-86 Durham) = Samuel PICKARD in 1851 Kelloe;

o   Edmund VARLEY (c1826 Ilkeston) – last recorded in Houghton le Spring, Durham in 1841;

o   Solomon VARLEY (1830 Ilkeston-1843 Durham);

o   Shadrack VARLEY (1833 Durham – 1850);

o   Mary VARLEY (c1835) = Jarman Mabbott “German” RILEY in 1860 Kelloe;

o   Hannah VARLEY (1838) = George BATEY in 1855 Gateshead;

·       Thomas VARLEY (c1795) = Sarah WILSON in 1815 Greasley, my 4xGGPs. Their children;

o   William VARLEY (1816-20);

o   Elizabeth VARLEY (1818);

o   Judith / Judah VARLEY (1820-1907) = William MALEBAND (1820-52) in 1841 Greasley, then his brother Levi MALEBAND (1822-1901) in 1853;

o   Fanny VARLEY (1822-42) = Thomas WALTON in 1839 Selston;

o   Thomas Wilson VARLEY (1826-1901) = Ann HARRISON (1827-89) in 1846 Alfreton, my 3xGGPs. Children:

§  Sarah VARLEY (1848-1925) = James SHAWCROFT in 1867 (4 children);

§  Mary Ann VARLEY (1850-1930) = John BRADLEY (1848-79, s/o William BRADLEY & Sarah BLATHERWICK), my 2xGGPs;

§  Thomas Henry VARLEY (1853-1931) = Susannah BRADLEY (1855-1923, d/o William BRADLEY & Sarah BLATHERWICK). 15 children (see below);

§  William VARLEY (1855-1927) = Ann Burnham SLATER in 1876. 9 children, survivors including:

§  William Thomas Slater VARLEY (1876-1955) = Frances Mary LEAKE in 1896;

§  Eliza Ann VARLEY (1878) = John MORRIS in 1901;

§  Elizabeth Esther VARLEY (1880-1943) = John Thomas Morris RAWLINGS in 1899;

§  Louisa VARLEY (1883-1965) = William Henry BUXTON in 1902;

§  Ernest VARLEY (1896-1969) = Susanna FINCH in 1919 (5 children);

§  Frances May VARLEY (1900-67) = Enos Joseph BIRD in 1924;

§  Joseph VARLEY (1857-1944) a twin = Mary Ann PEACH in 1877 (7 surviving children of 10);

§  Fanny VARLEY (1857-1936) a twin = Henry SHACKLOCK in 1876;

§  James VARLEY (1860-1909);

§  Sarah Ann VARLEY (1861-61);

§  Elizabeth VARLEY (1862-1941) = George SHOOTER in 1883 (6 children);

§  Ann “Annie” VARLEY (1865-1956) = Horatio LILLEY in 1889;

§  Eliza VARLEY (1867-1937) = Thomas Henry HAYNES in 1888 (2 children);

o   Isaac VARLEY (1828-1907) = Ann BERISFORD in 1853, Sarah Ann HURT in 1870 and Ellen SMITH in 1888. No issue from any marriage;

o   Ann VARLEY (1831-1911) = John THORPE in 1849;

o   Mary VARLEY (1833-1906) = John WRIGHT in 1854, then Henry MACBETH in 1861;

 

Descendants of Thomas Henry VARLEY & Susannah BRADLEY include:

·       Frances Mary “Fanny” VARLEY (1874-1945) = John Joseph EVISON in 1898;

·       Thomas Henry VARLEY (1877-1925) = Ann Elizabeth “Annie” DENTON (8 children);

·       Ellen VARLEY (187-1967) = Henry SHIPMAN in 1900;

·       Alice VARLEY (1880-1950) = James Thomas WRIGHT in 1902. No issue;

·       Henry “Harry” VARLEY (1881-1948) = Elizabeth BOOTH in 1904 (2 children);

·       James VARLEY (1883-1952) = Sarah Ann “Sally” FOGERTY (1 child);

·       Frank Bradley VARLEY (1885-1929), Secretary of the Notts Miners Assoc. & MP = Alicia MAYCOCK in 1907 (3 children);

·       Clara VARLEY (1887-88);

·       John Alfred VARLEY (1889-1942) = Ada JONES (1 child);

·       Edith VARLEY (1891-1974) = Edgar PARKIN. No issue;

·       Olive VARLEY (1892-1974) = John Charles BARNSLEY;

·       Elsie VARLEY (1895-95);

·       Joseph Walter VARLEY (1896-1917);

·       Laura Eveline VARLEY (1897-1989) = m1. George PLATTS, m2. Richard LEWIS. No issue from either;

·       Clara Winifred VARLEY (1899-99);

 

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The outline above is indicative only and not necessarily fully correct or complete.
The CreativeGraces family tree can be found here on Ancestry:
http://trees.ancestry.co.uk/pt/pedigree.aspx?tid=9072976
This is where you can find the most up-to-date information.
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