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I am researching the origin of the Radley surname, I am only interested in the Essex area as I do not believe the Kent/Surrey/somerset Radleys are connected. Our Radley name stems from a place or hamlet in Essex from Saxon times. I have found a line of the origin for the Radley surname going back to the Normans, If I am correct we descend from one of Geoffrey de Mandevilles sons (not the famous one - William) and we inherit our surname from one of the Mandeville descendents - I am keeping the exact line guarded at the moment just in case I publish the findings at a later date. When he took the name of the hamlet/manor to be part of his name instead of Mandeville (as was the practice in the 1100-1200's) the early form of Radley came into play.As it changes from Saxon to Latin and then to olde English over a period of 300/400 years, it bears very little resemblance to the present day spelling of Radley that didn't evolve until 1492.
It has taken me over 20 years of research to get back to the Normans for the origin of our surname,the date of first Saxon useage is lost in time apart from its entry in the Domesday book. What I can say is that most earlier references to Radley generalise Radley as having one meaning i.e Red earth and a clearing, this is incorrect, our Essex Radley has its roots in a river crossing and reed bed which was probably cleared to create a settlement close by.
If anybody else is researching this early period I would like to compare findings.
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