Tracing the Origins of the Morleys found in 18th Century Glamorgan

Abstract

The origins of many families who moved to Glamorgan from the West Country and the Midlands during the early part of the Industrial Revolution are often unknown, as the parish registers are incomplete and official records did not appear until later in 1838. This study is concerned with tracing the origins of one such family, called Morley, who appeared in the Vale of Neath in the early eighteenth century. They were yeomen whose descendants became involved in the fledgling tinplate industry there as the family expanded. Links between early family members have been established by exploring their wills, where available, and original source material from the National Library for Wales. Further connections have been made possible by using the accepted English genealogical practice of tracing the family by following the sequence of family Christian names. This process has successfully enabled connections to be made between the family in Glamorgan and their antecedents in Carmarthenshire. The progenitor of this family has been identified as originating from Bayton in Worcestershire and it is believed that the family originallydescended from the Morleys of Norfolk in the thirteenth century.