Harley Family life stories
Fields and hills near Hopton Castle, Shropshire.
Welcome to the Harley Family page!
The Harley family, as far back as I have traced it, stems from Shropshire. But at the dawn of the Industrial Revolution John Harley, our 3G Great Grandfather, along with four of his brothers and their families moved to the Birmingham area. On the other hand the Gilvrays moved south from Scotland to Newcastle, London, South Wales and finally back towards the midlands, to Birmingham where they met the Harleys.
The Harley names
While tracing any line of ancestors presents its problems, the female ancestors present the most difficulty.
1885-1961 Francis Cecil Harley
We knew our grandfather, the son of Frank and Louisa Harley, as Cecil, but the records show that he was Francis Cecil Harley.
Joan Mary Harley 1916-2002
Joan was only too aware of her mother’s attitude to gender roles. As the third of four children, and the only girl, she keenly resented what she saw as the disadvantages of being female.