Harlee History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
Early Origins of the Harlee family
The surname Harlee was first found in Northumberland where they held a family seat on the English/Scottish border. After the Norman Conquest of England many of Duke William's rebellious Barons moved north. The border became a convenient no-man's land. In the 16th century they became known as the 'unruly clans'.
The name Haurell or Harel is found several times in the Norman Exchequer Rolls of 1180-95 and subsequently appears enrolled among the nobility as Sires de Bretteville. 
Cornwall hold an interesting entry about the family. Lord Borchard de Herle (1268-1305), was a medieval diplomat under the King Edward I. By the time he was 12, his father Lord Borin had died of typhoid fever leaving him to care for his mother and his younger brother. As soon as he turned 18, he abandoned his sick mother and took his father's money and left to go to college at University of Cambridge. His father's legacy of close connections to Edward I led to his early career. This Cornish branch claims descent from "the house of West Hearle in Northumberland." 
"The manor of St. Day [in the parish of Gwennap, Cornwall] was at a very early period in severalties. The family of Hearle possess one third part, which they have long held." 
"East Clusion [in the parish of lansallos, Cornwall] now belongs to John Hearle, Esq. of Tregony, in whose family it has been vested about a century." 
In nearby Devon, "Sir William Herle, Chief Justice of the Common Pleas, 1316, certainly lived at Chambercombe, near Ilfracombe, but his birth there is doubtful. " 
Early History of the Harlee family
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Harlee research. Another 130 words (9 lines of text) covering the years 1510, 1600, 1079, 1142, 1149, 1162, 1385, 1559, 1431, 1347, 1301, 1324, 1598, 1659, 1618, 1598, 1559, 1575, 1617, 1695, 1640, 1659, 1622, 1681, 1659, 1661 and 1679 are included under the topic Early Harlee History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Harlee Spelling Variations
Although the name, Harlee, appeared in many references, from time to time, the surname was shown with the spellings Herle, Hearle, Herral, Harrell, Harle, Harel, Heral, Hurl, Hirl, Herrel and many more.
Early Notables of the Harlee family (pre 1700)
Notable amongst the family name during their early history was William de Herle (d. 1347), was an English judge, son of Robert de Herle, was probably born in Leicestershire, since both his father and he in 1301 and 1324 respectively were summoned by the sheriffs of that county to perform military duty and to attend the great council at Westminster. His lands lay principally in Leicestershire, but through his wife Margaret, daughter and heir of William Polglas and of Elizabeth, heiress of Sir William Champernon, he came into possession of considerable estates in Devonshire. 
Charles Herle (1598-1659), was a prominent...
Another 101 words (7 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Harlee Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Migration of the Harlee family
Gradually becoming disenchanted with life in Ireland many of these uprooted families sailed aboard the armada of sailing ships known as the "White Sails" which plied the stormy Atlantic. These overcrowded ships often arrived with only 60 to 70% of their original passenger list, many dying of cholera, typhoid, dysentery or small pox. In North America, some of the first immigrants who could be considered kinsmen of the Harlee family name Harlee, or who bore a variation of the surname were Michael Herrel, who was naturalized in Mobile Co. AL in 1868; and John Herle, who was recorded in the census of Ontario in 1871.
|Contemporary Notables of the name Harlee (post 1700) ||+|
- Herbert Harlee Playford (1831-1883), British rower
- Cleveland, Dutchess of The Battle Abbey Roll with some Account of the Norman Lineages. London: John Murray, Abermarle Street, 1889. Print. Volume 2 of 3
- Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
- Hutchins, Fortescue, The History of Cornwall, from the Earliest Records and Traditions to the Present Time. London: William Penaluna, 1824. Print
- Worth, R.N., A History of Devonshire London: Elliot Stock, 62, Paternoster Row, E.G., 1895. Digital
- Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print