Radleys of Cork

CORK, PROVINCE OF MUNSTER 1590s.

Under the Fiants (warrants) of Queen Elizabeth I, the English tried to force the Irish tribes west of Shannon, and dispersed
their lands to Scots and English "Undertakers"

My ancestors, the RADLEYS, were such. They came from TAUNTON, SOMERSET, and the Anglo Saxon name means "RED
EARTH or MEADOW" and is on list of English Protestant settlers 1590s to Bandon. "

They married into the native population and in that much quoted phrase "hiberniores hebernis ipsos" became more Irish
than the Irish.

The first known marriages of the RADLEYS were with the LEADERS who were Cromwellian Adventurers; they wed first
and second cousins to keep the wealth and power within the families, and became Anglo-Irish Landed Gentry. Most, if not
all, the prominent people of Cork were related to them e.g. WARRENS, (also on list of English Prot. Settlers and Crom.
Adventurers) CROOKES (English peers) RONAYNES, CLEBURNES (GENERAL PATRICK RONAYNE CLEBURNE,
CONFEDERATE GENERAL, AMER.CIVIL WAR, cousin, nephew etc to Radleys' and Leaders) LINDSEYS, BALDWINS etc.

This was a gracious lifestyle, of balls, hunting and bloodstock horses. The Radleys were expert horsemen, and much
sought after by the British as Cavalry officers. My Great great grandfather was, among other things, a Captain in Cork
Militia (THOMAS RADLEY, of ROCKVILLE) The cholera epidemic and potato famine of 1849, caused many gentry to
become bankrupt. The "Encumbered Estates Act" was enforced and many lost their estates.

In 1853 my great grandfather, RICHARD HENRY RADLEY, of "ROCKVILLE" AGHABULLOGUE, CORK wed ELIZABETH JANE
ARMSTRONG and emigrated to Ballan, Victoria Australia, close to the goldfields. Luck was against him and he died, along
with 3 of his children, in a diphtheria epidemic. He had an exceptional background, but never told anyone about it.
Nothing was known of his ancestors, until 5 years ago. His legacy to his descendents was our Australian birth, for which
we thank him.

My knowledge of the RADLEYS is due to an American relative, who sent me some papers, which were put together by
MICHAEL LEADER, who turned out to be the great great nephew of Richard Henry and an accredited genealogist. THANKS
ED! I have relentlessly pursued every clue since then, and have become dedicated to bringing RICHARD HENRY to "life"
on this website.

I have many CORK records and would be happy to look up on request. I hope you will find these Anglo-Irish families as
fascinating as I did.

Some information on RADLEY and similar names from Domesday Book and British History online. CHRISTOPHER RADLEY
also has researched the Radleys of England and has contributed very interesting information on Radley name at Ancestry
message boards. TAKEN FROM DOMESDAY BOOK and BRITISH HISTORY ONLINE…Thank you.

"In the Domesday Book, RODELEAH that later became RADLEY "ST PETER THE GREAT" is also documented in
WORCESTERSHIRE. In GLOUCESTERSHIRE the name RADLEGH is found during the 13th century with Connection to the
manor of RADLEGH, WILLELMO DE RADLEGH/RADLEG is found in 1232 to 1252, JOHN DE RADLEGH a knight in 1314,
PETER DE RADLEGH and RADULFO DE RADLEGH in 1241 is a "tenant ad firman manerium de RADLEGH" RALPH DE
RADLEYE appears before 1272 in the GLOUCESERSHIRE area as a witness to deeds of the ARCHER family of TAMWORTH"

MEDIEVAL RADLEYS………….. This was researched & contributed by CHRISTOPHER RADLEY, of ENGLAND. Christopher
has interesting info. on Radley surname on Ancestry message board. Thank you.Christopher.

1272 RALPH DE REDLEYE was a witness to quitclaim re the Manor of Lassington (Lasserdone) in Gloucestshire. Mentioned
in records of Archer family of Tanworth near Solihull. Pre 1272

Source Shakespeare Birthplace Trust records office Ref.DR 37/2 box 118/27

Radley variations that cannot be attributed to the ESSEX area, their spellings are useful to show regional variations:

OSBERTA DE RADLEGA 1177 Pipe Rolls Surrey(?) P (ST)

RANULPH DE REDLEG & HENRY DE REDLEG c 1300, SOURCE NATIONAL ARCHIVES relating to Upper Ley (Overlye) possibly
in GLOUCESTSHIRE area

PHILIP DE RADLEG 1260 Feet of Fines Kent

ROBERTDE REDLEGH, son of WILLIAM DE REDLEGH c 1315 had land and a tenement in village of RODE (AVON and
Somerset area)

ADAM DE RADELEE 1342/43 Feet of Fines Surrey

NICHOLAS DE RADLE early 1400s Cumberland area

HUMPHREY RADELEYE 1417/29 Church prebendary at Cudworth Somerset.

RICHARD RADDELEY 1471 from RADLEY (BERKSHIRE AND DEVON)

In Kent there is a village that was known as ASHWELL-CUM-RIDLEY, now known simply as RIDLEY. This is a place
mentioned in the Domesday survey as READLEAGA and in 1115 as Redlege by 1298 it becomes REDLEYE, thus following a
similar progression in the way the RADLEY name was evolving. In this case the name comes from the OLD ENGLISH
"HREOD + lege" translating to "reed" + leah" for which it leads to the name RIDLEY meaning a clearing of reeds (reed
clearing)

NOTES ON RADLEY SURNAME

Source SURNAME DB.

First recorded in latter half of 12th century.

PHILIP DE RADLEG 1260 Fine Court Rolls Kent

WARREN DE REDLEYE 1272 Hundred Rolls of Essex

The first recorded spelling of family name is that of OSBERT DE RADELEGA 1177 in Pipe Rolls of Surrey.

Bishop of Winchester 1243 William De Ra(d)leigh The name is Anglo/Saxon in origin.