Many  Kearsleys were involved in the cotton industry in England.
They included cotton brokers, dyers, spinners & carders -
and often entire families  worked together in the factories.

A growing curiosity about missing Kearsley ancestors once living in Scotland in the early 1700s led us to the Guild of One-Name Studies. We're hoping that, after years of thinking it an impossible task, we can match carefully researched genealogies from England, Scotland & the United States with Y-DNA testing to connect the family/families.  It won't be easy, but with the help of a wide range of participants  we hope to succeed. If you are willing to share your Kearsleys trees with us, critique the trees we have already assembled and/or if you are interested in doing Y-DNA testing please let us know.  We need men, whose surname is Kearsley, for the testing.

We would very much appreciate your help.

kearsley@one-name.org.

Variants: Kersley (maybe)  & Keirsley   (others to be determined)

Similar surnames (often mis-spellings)  Carslile, Carsley, Chersly, Corsleyn  Kearsly, Karsley,  Kiersley, Kerseley, Kirsley, Korsley, Garsley.

Kearsley is one of the oldest surnames found in England today.  From the Olde English, pre 7^th century, it is a combination of the words “caers” meaning cress & “leah” meaning a clearing or glade –therefore a clearing where cress grows.

The town of Kearsley in Lancashire was first recorded as Cherselawe in 1187 and the Lancashire pipe rolls of Willelmus Cherselawe were also found there. The name Kearsley in 1220 was Kersleie in the Registry of Cockersand Abby and 400 years later Rodgerius Kerselaie’s death was recorded in 1620. A short time later, in 1687, William Kearsley & Ales Bancks were married in Wigan, Lancashire.

Kearsleys of note: From the family of Jonathan & Jane Kearsley of Shippensburg, Pennsylvania who emigrated to America ca. 1738.

• Samuel Kearsley: Captain during the Revolutionary War; served with George Washington at Valley Forge.
• Jonathan Kearsley: Fought in the War of 1812 at the Battle of Lundy’s Lane; 5^th Mayor of Detroit, serving 2 terms.

Relationships acknowledged but as yet undetermined:

• John Kearsley, MD of Greatham, Durham, England & Philadelphia; A highly respected physician, responsible for overseeing the construction of the larger and grander Christ Church in Philadelphia. He was also involved in the design of the new wing and steeple.
• John Kearsley, Jr. MD of Sedgefield, Durham, England & Philadelphia; referred to as the “Tory doctor” for siding with the British in Philadelphia during the Revolutionary War; His somewhat "difficult nature" & "reckless outspokenness" resulted in his being imprisoned in Carlisle, Pennsylvania where he eventually died. He was a nephew of the above John of Greatham.

Less well known but just as important Kearsleys were also weavers, cotton brokers, coal miners, coach builders, farmers, inn keepers, timber merchants, brick layers, hatters, publishers, judges, agricultural laborers, and members of Parliament.

The Kearsley name is found throughout the world with larger concentrations in England (its point of origin), Australia, Canada, & the United States. Smaller clusters of the name are found in Scotland and South Africa.

We are currently seeking male relatives with the surname Kearsley (or variant) to join our Y-DNA project. Family Tree DNA is hosting our DNA results.

View our progress later at  https://www.familytreedna.com/public/Kearsley/

Our Kearsley website is now online.  Thank you for your interest and we welcome your input. Please take the time to search our database for your family. While the DB is substantial we may not have discovered you yet. It's important that we know.  Each Kearsley line plays an important role in determining the bigger picture.

The Kearsley message board

The Kearsley DNA study with FT-DNA can be seen as it progresses at http://www.familytreedna.com/public/Kearsley/