Dudley Coat of Arms, Family Crest and Dudley Family History

Dudley Family History

The family history of the ancient name Dudley was found in the irishsurnames.com archives. The name Dudley is often of Anglo-Saxon descent spreading to the Celtic countries of Ireland, Scotland, and Wales in early times and it is found in many mediaeval manuscripts throughout these countries. Examples of such are an Isolda Doudely who was recorded in the 'Poll Tax' of the West Riding of Yorkshire, England, in the year 1379, along with a Johannes Dudly, who was also recorded in the same document. A William Dudley and Mary Foster, were married at Saint Georges Hanover Square, in the year 1789, and a John Dudleye was buried at Saint Michael, Cornhill, in the year 1549.

In Ireland this name and its variants were introduced into Ulster Province by settlers who arrived from England and Scotland, especially during the seventeenth century. During the 'Plantations of Ireland' in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries Ireland was colonized by the English Crown with this period marking the end of Gaelic supremacy in Ireland. This period brought an influx of settlers into the country but, unlike the earlier Anglo-Norman invasion of the twelfth century that resulted in a full integration into Irish society of the new arrivals, the same never occurred with the Ulster Planters who maintained their own distinct identity.

Dudley is also an anglicized form of the Gaelic O'Dubhdaleithe sept that was located in County Cork. This Gaelic name was also changed to Dowdall.The Dudley family crest (or coat of arms) came into existence many centuries ago. The process of creating these coats of arms began as early as the eleventh century although a form of Proto-Heraldry may have existed in some countries prior to this, including Ireland. The new more formalized art of Heraldry made it possible for families and even individual family members to have their very own family crest, coat of arms, including Dudley descendants.