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Thurlow | Lucey | Berthelsen | Hanran | Madden | McPherson | Storrie | Dewe
From Cambridgeshire to the Antipodes
From Cambridgeshire to the Antipodes
The origin of the family name Thurlow is somewhat obscure.
According to one source, the name is said to be derived from an old English term meaning Warriors' Burial-mound.
Another source makes connections with Thrillauue c1095, John de Thrillowe in Cambridge c1278, Antony Thurlowe in Suffolk c1327 and Thurlow, once again in Suffolk, in 1524.
Some other spellings that I have encountered during my research of the family tree include Furley, Thurley, Thirley, Thurleigh, and Thurloe.
Also worthy of mention is the name of John Thurloe who served as one of Oliver Cromwell's Ministers during his reign as Lord Protector of England between 1653 and 1658.
And of some significance are the many references to Thurloe and Thurlow that lend their names to several landmarks in central London.
Thurlow is said to be a “locality” name: The villages of Little Thurlow and Great Thurlow south of Newmarket on route B1061 are said to be derived from Old English words meaning troop assembly hill.
Coincidentally, Thurley is also said to be a “locality” name and a variation of Thorley in Hertfordshire which is reputed to be the home of the first family to be known by that name.
Thurleigh, once again a "locality" name, means a person who hails from the Bedfordshire town/parish of Thurleigh.
Now, in the 21st century when the population is better educated, some may find it difficult to comprehend so many spelling variations, but I think I can say without doubt, that had our ancestors received a contemporary education, they would have at least been able to write their own names instead of relying on sextons and parish clerks who, in most cases, recorded what they thought they heard. As villagers began to travel in search of work, many surnames became distorted and changed by local dialects, heavy accents, speech impediments or illiteracy, all of which, I suggest, have given rise to the above variations. Illiteracy would also explain why we find the mark “X” as a representation of one's signature in many marriage documents of that era.
Cambridgeshire (CAM), the county where our ancestors lived and died, lies due north of London. It is bounded by Norfolk and Suffolk to the east, Essex and Hertford to the south, Bedford, Huntingdon and Northampton to the west, and Lincoln to the north. The county, as we know it today, now includes the former county of Huntingdonshire (HUN) which features in the early history of our family. Cambridge, the county's principal city is well known for its university, including Kings College Chapel, and Emmanuel, Jesus and Queen's Colleges.
Among the proliferation of spellings, “Thurlow” and “Thurley” predominate and appear to have been interchangeable, to the point that some family members appear under more than one spelling, depending on the source document. My research tells me that the former spelling is more common among those who moved to London or Australia and New Zealand; the latter spelling being retained by those who remained in rural England. We may never know for certain how the different surnames came about but suffice to say that an inability to read or write would have been the underlying reason for the variations.
My ancestry begins with John Robinson Thurlow [1917-2004] who was New Zealand born; his father, John William Thurlow [1889-1919] also NZ-born; and his father, John William Thurlow (Senior) [1861-1945] who was Australian born of an English father, John Thurley [1840-1909] from Milton, Cambridgeshire.
The chart below shows John Thurley's ancestral links to his father Robert Thurley [1802-1875] of Conington, Cambridgeshire whose father was John Thurley [1772-1835], possibly from Yelling, Huntingdonshire and further back to William Thurley possibly from Fenstanton, Huntingdonshire.
Researching the family tree has raised some questions about our ancestral path but there is evidence to suggest that the family I have linked back to has a strong connection. If more conclusive evidence becomes available this will be reviewed. Acting on this premise, John Thurlow and his wife Elizabeth Stallybrass (also Stallabrass) are therefore at the commencement point for the purpose of these essays.
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