Bexley History

Origins of the Bexley Surname

Our Surrey Bexley line traces back to William Bixley, a tailor, from Capel, Surrey who died in 1604. We do not know where or when he was born. As he had Grandchildren at the time of his Will, in 1603, we can guess he was born before 1550.

The earliest records of Bixleys in Surrey were the births of four girls Agnis, Alice and two Joane Bixleys Baptised between 1561 to 1568 in Parish Church at Ockley, Surrey, but only the father of the second Joane was listed and his name is stated as John Bixley. Capel and Ockley are neighbouring villages, so there is a strong possibility that William was related to these four girls.

I have found a burial record for a John Bixley in Ockley in June 1566 and a burial record for a Joan in April 1566 also in Ockley – these are the two earliest burial records of Bixleys in Surrey (that are available online on the Family History Society web site). Even though there are no ages, I believe these were both children. I believe Joane Christened on 04 February 1566 was the Joan who died on 12 April 1566 and that the second Joan born in 1568 was her sister. I also think that John who died in 1566 was a brother to the four Ockley girls. Agnes Bixley died in West Horsley in 1608. Alice Bixley married in Ockley in 1583 to Edmund Songhurst. Alice died in 1631 in West Horsley. The second Joan died in 1575 in Ockley. There was also a Margaret Bixley who married a John Margesson in 1572 in Ockley and died in Ockley in 1628.

Edmund Songhurst and wife Alice are mentioned in the Surrey History Centre Collections Catalogue: Collection ref: G46 PROPERTY AND LAND MOSTLY IN SURREY PARISHES: DEEDS, 1593-1838.

Item ref: G46/1/22-23 Deed of partition and bond 1) Edmund Songhurst and Alice his wife 2) Juliana Bixley, sister of Alice. Messuage and lands in West Horsley Date(s): 29 Sep 1604
Item ref: G46/1/25 Counterpart of fine 1) Thomas Edwards of London, gent; John Champion of Guildford, yeoman 2) Edmund Songhurst and Alice his wife 3) Juliana Bixley, sister of Alice. Messuage and lands in West Horsley Date(s): 1607
Item ref: G46/1/24 Deed to lead the uses of a fine Messuage and lands in West Horsley Date(s): 16 Jan 1607.

Alice's sister, Juliana Bixley is also mentioned.

In another Property and Land Deeds document dated 1630, a Robert Tydie of Wisley, yeoman is mentioned with William Bixley, Yeoman. Robert’s wife name is said to be Juliana. This William Bixley was the son of William the tailor and Winifred (who married Naomi Fuller and died in 1646 (app) in East Clandon). This document refers to land called Stoneyland in West Horsley.

In a document dated 1694, a Bixley Tidy is mentioned with wife Roberta regarding land in Byfleet.

East Clandon, West Horsley, Ockley and Byfleet are all in the same area of Surrey.

Unfortunately, I cannot find the records I am looking for to tie all this up – however, the name Bixley Tidy does suggest a connection to the Bixleys so it could be that Juliana Bixley, the sister of Alice, married Robert Tydie and that Bixley Tidy was either her son, or more probably, Grandson. The question is, how do all these Bixleys tie up with William Bixley of Capel? The records suggest a connection but the first thing to find is the marriage of Robert Tydie and Juliana Bixley and the original Baptism records for the Ockley children.

It is also my belief that William Bixley of Capel was related to the Sussex Bexleys, including Hugh Bexley of Waldron Sussex b. c1530, a miller.

Origins of the Bexley Surname

Documents on the UK Archives Network, show Bexleys from Sussex (those descending from Hugh and Elinor) were referred to in the documents as Bexhill alias Bexley (e.g. Thomas Bexhill alias Bexley). I have looked up the history of Bexhill and it was originally called Bexelei. There is a reference to Bexhill in a document in 1593, where it says ‘premises in Bexley alias Bexhill’, so it looks like even though it was called Bexhill, the locals continued to call it Bexley. Stranger still, I was told many years ago that my name was derived from Box Hill, so perhaps it had been confused down the years and they meant Bexhill! There are Bexhills in the IGI after 1680, which may be when Bexhill became known more by that name and so some Bexley folk in Sussex became known as Bexhills. If you look at the locations of Hugh and Elinors descendents, they are all around the Bexhill area.

Looking through more records, it seems Bexhill was known as Bexley, then Bexley Hill and then Bexhill. I have also found some information about the History of Bexhill:

Confirmation of the surname Bexleys association with Bexhill can be found on the Surnames Database web site: