This surname BALY was an official name 'the bailiff'. The name was derived from the Old French 'bailli' and was brought into England and Scotland from Normandy, during the wake of the Norman Conquest of 1066. Early records of the name mention Alvered Ballivus of the County of Lincolnshire in 1273. Henry le Baillie of Monmouthshire, Wales in 1307. William de Bailli appears as a juror on an inquest concerning forfeited lands in Lothian in 1315. Adam Bailiff of Yorkshire was listed in the Yorkshire Poll Tax of 1379. William de Bailli of Scotland in 1411, appears as a juror on an inquest concerning forfeited lands in Lothian. The Baillies are now divided into many families, the principal branches of which are those of Lamington, Jerviswood, Polkemmet and Dochfour. The term baillie now obsolete in England is still the common form in Scotland where it was used of the chief magistrate of a barony. The name was taken to Ireland by Scottish settlers, and appears frequently in medieaval records from the 12th century. Ireland was one of the earliest countries to evolve a system of hereditary surnames. They came into being fairly generally in the 11th century, and indeed a few were formed before the year 1000. When the coast of England was invaded by William The Conqueror in the year 1066, the Normans brought with them a store of French personal names, which soon, more or less, entirely replaced the traditional more varied Old English personal names, at least among the upper and middle classes. A century of so later, given names of the principal saints of the Christian church began to be used. It is from these two types of given name that the majority of the English patronymic surnames are derived and used to this day. |
ORDER BY NOVEMBER 28th FOR XMAS DELIVERY
VIEW OUR CREST GIFT ITEMS HEREPURCHASE AN EMAILED JPG PURCHASE A HISTORY & CREST 
|