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Cilley/Cili/Celley/Seeley Lineages

Cilley/Cili/Celley/Seeley Lineages

Rick Ugino (View posts)
Posted: 19 Feb 2000 6:03AM GMT
Has anyone on this Board gone into the "Old world" derivations of the name? I know the New England branch might have come from a section of England but this name is replicated around Europe. Anyone on the board done work here?
Thanks in advance.
Rick

Cilley/Cili/Celley/Seeley Lineages

Brad Cilley (View posts)
Posted: 12 Mar 2000 10:21AM GMT
I have not done any research in this area, but my grandmother's work suggests that the name derives from Seely/Sealy and can be traced through the UK back to Normandy.

Seeley etc.

Rick (View posts)
Posted: 13 Mar 2000 4:51AM GMT
Yes, the name derivation can be found through the UK for one branch and after that, it is found around many countries in the Mediterranean as well as "mainland" Europe.
I would follow up on your Grandmother's stuff since now, the records are being computerized more and at least the English records can give a strong jump-off [point to others.
My point in all this is that family names are more recent than people want to think and that derivations were easily made etc. from various languages.
One area I tracked were the heraldic histories in Europe where no matter the language, the same coat of arms could be found in various armorials meaning that that family were linked by the arms. It's fascinating to see that.
Is one of your ancestors a Gen. Joseph Cilley from New Hampshire?
Talk to you soon,
Rick

Cilley/Seeley/Scilly/Chilley

Richard Cilley (View posts)
Posted: 6 Apr 2001 3:53PM GMT
Several anecdotal letters and oral representations indicate that later generations believed that when my first ancestor in this country, Thomas Ceeley, came over to New Hampshire permanently to escape the Roundheads in the English Civil War in the early 1640s, he believed that the name derive from the Scilly Isles off Land's End west of his home in Teignmouth, Devon. He and his brothers had been over to America fishing regularly since the late 1620's, smoking and curing fish, and bringing back the catch to the west of England to sell. It became politically expedient to remain in America at the Isles of Shoals off New Hampshire rather than risk being hung for a Royalist at home.
This accounts for the "Chilley" pronounciation that crops up throughout the 17th, 18th, and 19th Centuries. See Longfellow's description of U.S.Congressman Cilley from Maine and his obituaries in the Washington DC papars in the 1840's, noting the Chilley phonetic spelling made by several other congressmen reflecting that variant. My twice-Great-Grandfather Horace Baxter Cilley wrote to my Great-Grandfather Clark Merrill Cilley in the late 19th Century that he believed that this confusion led Devonshire-bred, seafaring Ceeleys/Seeleys/Chilleys, who were very aware of the Scilly Isles, to make that leap of deduction, and though it would seem to be pure speculation, the Scillys aren't far from the Devon Coast. - Richard Cilley richard.cilley@psiusa.com

The spelling of Cilley

Posted: 30 Apr 2001 7:20PM GMT
Edited: 29 Jul 2003 12:23AM GMT
The information I have(All from the internet) Has a Benonoi Cilley having 10 children.
8 of them list their last names as Cilley
1 as Silley
1 as Seeley
and Benonoi's father is listed as Thomas Sealy
A lot of times names change because of the writing They just look different

Re: Cilley/Cili/Celley/Seeley Lineages

Posted: 8 Jul 2011 7:33AM GMT
Classification: Query
Cilley has many origins- My great grandfather was a Seelye, here are a few things to point out. Seelye is the protestant version of the name Seeley with y on end is the Catholic version- this differentiation is found in irish-scottish origins, the Seelyes were frequent back and forth migrants between the two places. Seelye name means Blessed.

Seelie seelees refer to GOOD elves of the Seelie Court,the court of LIGHT, the blessed ones the Ur-Seelie court refers to the Dark Hunt the BAD elves, the cursed ones.. the ones of darkness.

Scily islands are off the coast of Cornwall- specifically Lands End. One branch of my Seelye ancestors specifically are associated with the Scilly islands. (as well as Scotland- and Ireland) one of the Scottish links is that the Seelye family was neighbors to Oliver Cromwell- and thus survived- even tho some appeared to be related to the Royalists- (2nd or 3rd cousins to the Royals- also from the province of Lord Huntington- Queen Mary's branch.)

During Spanish Armada a Captain Thomas Seelye commanded a ship called the Minyon.

The Encyclopedia Kansas- shows that my great great grandfathers brother or cousin ?? of the A.B. Seelye patented medicine company of Abilene Kansas- has listed as his families orgins- first illinois- where my family was, and then way back in AUSTRIA, and the Uzilli Family- connected to lands and the Hapsburgs. Ulrich Uzilli..

This is VERY odd- but i have found other references to it as well.

Three very strong roots- ireland- direct back to irish origins.. scotland- direct back to celtic orgins- scilly islands - direct all way back to roman and merlin and welsh days. Austrian origins back into Roman days and a roman province, near Slovenia, Cele ? without pulling out my notes. preceeding just off the top of my head without lookin anything up.

It is easy to associate irish-scotish-scilly islands (cornwall, wales) together since family was very much seafaring with many captains. the austrian one- there are possible unyet found connections between = its hard to remember that even in ancient days, people moved a LONG ways. Look at Julius Caesar appearing in England, France, Spain,Italy, Egypt, Turkey- Sicily - *very similar Scilly islands and Sicily ??? with further ancient - Phonecians- were in Scilly islands and Sicily. Scilly islands was a trading port- for expeditions coming to get TIN from Cornwall. To make Bronze for Bronze age and beyond weapons.
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