The Tunaleys in Historical Context

and their possible Huguenot/Norman origin

 

The Tunaleys appeared in Derby somewhere at the start of the 1700's. There is currently no convincing record of a Tunaley having resided in the area before then.

There may have been more than one "Tunaley" family taking up residence in the Derby area. Click here for details.

A "Tunnelly" family also appears in the Nottingham areas (see here).

In surveying these details, please note that most of these records can be located on various genealogical websites. Also that our surname appears in a number of guises such as "Tunnaley", "Tunnerley", etc.

To understand the historical context it is useful to note the following:

1. The persecution of the Huguenots from 1685.

2. England declaring war on France 1702.

3. Huguenots anglicising their names, probably because of the war.

4. The arrival of the Silk Mill in 1717 - a more temporary wooden

structure which was not a success in terms of silk weaving having

been previously destroyed. The Silk Mill enabled silk to be spun

or "thrown" into threads ready for weaving (click here). Thomas

Tunaley (born abt. 1740), who married Catherine Hefferd, was a silk

throwster.

5. That many Huguenots were dyers and silk weavers.

6. The majority of Huguenots made for London or Norwich.

In fact Hezekiah Tunaley was married at St. George, Hanover Square ,London 1777. Sarah Tunaley (b. 1809 Derby) married Samuel Walker Cox at The Old Church, St. Pancras, London 1838. All this indicating London contacts and a degree of wealth when travel relied on coach and horses.

7. Therefore one school of thought is that the name Tunaley (or Tunally and other variants) is an anglicised version of Tonnelier (this item still in the process of being researched).

8. It is well-documented that Huguenots were employed at the Old Silk Mill (click here).

9. The following is an extract from the Nuneaton Society's website:

"Another family in Bedworth of possible Low Country (particularly Belgian) origin is the Edmands family formerly of Tower House, Bedworth. Their family archivist, John Edmands, has written giving details of his researches. Several branches of that family have come to the conclusion that they are from the continent in centuries past. There were branches of the Edmands family, silk shirt manufacturers in the silk merchants area of Wood Street, Cripplegate, London and another in Manchester, manufacturers of silk small wares. The Bedworth family made silk trimmings. Another branch was located in Derby, clustered around the north end of town all within a short distance of the Derby silk mill on an island in the middle of the River Derwent."