This very prominent Cheshire surname is of English habitational origin from a place in the parish of Wilmslow, south of Manchester in Cheshire. The placename itself is composed of the Old Norse personal name "Kori" and the Olde English pre 7th Century element "leah", wood or clearing in a forest; hence "Kori's leah". The place was mentioned circa 1300 "together with the hamlets of Styuhale, Cuirbichelegh and Northcliffe", according to Earwaker's East Cheshire, who also mentions that "from this place a family named Curbishley, resident in the township for many generations, derived their name". The surname itself first appears in the early 14th Century (see below). Hugh Curbychley, of Stiall was mentioned in Earwakers History of East Cheshire in 1527. Margery Corbishley married Roger Arstall on May 13th 1559 at Wilmslow, Cheshire, and Arthur, son of Thomas Curbishley was christened on March 16th 1662, also at Wilmslow. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of Adam de Curbicheley which was dated 1300, in Earwaker's "East Cheshire", during the reign of King Edward 1, known as "The Hammer of the Scots", 1272 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.- 1307.

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