This name is of English locational in origin from Bartley Regis in Hampshire or from Bartley Green in Worcestershire, both so called from the Olde English pre 7th Century "beorc" meaning "birch" , plus "leah", a wood", hence "birch wood". The latter was first recorded as Berchelai in the Domesday Book of 1086 and the former as Berchelai in the 1107 Pipe Rolls of that county. The surname is first recorded in the mid 16th Century, (see below). On February 13th 1567, Thomas Bartley, an infant was christened in White Ladies Aston, Worcestershire, and on November 20th 1743 Morris Bartley and Elizabeth Door were married in St. Mary's, Portsea, Hampshire. An interesting namebearer was George Bartley (1782 - 1858), an actor who appeared as Orlando in Drury Lane (1802) and was Stage-Manager of Covent Garden (1829). The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of James Bartley, which was dated July 1st 1556, christened in St. Mary Magdalene's, London, during the reign of Queen Mary, "Bloody Mary", 1553 - 1558. Surnames became necessary when governments introduced personal taxation. In England this was known as Poll Tax. Throughout the centuries, surnames in every country have continued to "develop" often leading to astonishing variants of the original spelling.

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