About Us

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I'm guessing that since you came to this website, you are either family, or friends to the Bazely Family. Somewhere in this website, you will hopefully find some interesting information about our family.

Surname: Bazely

This name, with variant spellings Baseley, Basley, Bazele)y, Bazell(e) etc., derives from the Old French Basyle or Bazile, variant forms of the Latin Basilia, ultimately from the Greek Basileios meaning "Royal". The name was borne by a 4th Century bishop of Cappadocia, regarded as one of The Four Fathers of the Eastern Church, and is first recorded in England as Basilia in the 1134 "Pipe Rolls of Norfolk". One, Willemus Filius (son of) Basilie appears in the 1219 "Assize Court Rolls of Yorkshire". The surname is recorded in the mid 13th Century, (see below). On November 17th 1562, Peter Basley and Margaret Jones were married in St. Margaret's, Westminster, and on February 17th 1638, Margarett, daughter of George and Elizabeth Bazely, was christened in St. Andrew's, Holborn, London. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of John Basyly, which was dated 1252 - "The Huntingdon County Rolls", during the reign of King Henry 111, "The Frenchman", 1216 - 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.

Mom & Dad at their wedding

Mom & Dad at their 50th wedding anniversary

A Bit About Mom & Dad!

Dad was born in Madras, India (now Chenai) in 1929 as part of a Bazely Family that had been there since at least 1798. Dad was forced to relocate to the UK in 1944, when India received their independence. There he met Mom, who was a "London" girl, they married and immediately moved to Newfoundland, Canada where Virginia and Veronica were born. When Mom was pregnant with Paul, she went to the UK to give birth, while Dad went to Nigeria to their new home. Once Paul was born, Mom joined him in Abba, Nigeria, where they lived for 2 years. Mom & Dad emigrated to Canada in 1960 with Virginia, Veronica and Paul in tow. After a brief stay in Toronto, where Mark was born, they moved to their long-time home - Sault Ste Marie, ON until 2006, when they moved "South" to the London area. In this way, they were closer to their now many children, grand-children, and soon to be great-grand-children.

It also was supposed to mean that Dad didn't have to shovel the driveway as much. Not sure how that's working out so far.

James, Andrew, Brian, Matthew, Vanessa, Victoria, Patrick and Luke make up the rest of the family.

Most of the Bazely's still reside in Ontario, with the exception of Paul in Michigan, and Mark in Illinois.

There are now 27 grandchildren, and Mom & Dad's first great-grandchild, Damian now born, courtesy of Isaiah and Kate.

More information about the grandchildren later, once we decide how to portray that.

Mom & Dad at home in Ilderton

Mom & Dad at Home in Ilderton, November 2006