Family Tradition tells us that the family originally came from Viking roots prior to 1066 but we have not been able to document that with any certainty. According to family Tradition the name “Quarles” comes from the family business of making Crossbow and “Quarl” for supply to the soldiers of the time. A Quarl is the sleeve like holder for Crossbow Arrows. A Quiver is the sleeve like holder for Longbow Arrows.
The name Quarles originates from the name Huerueles which is old English for the place of hwerfel. The name is thought to originally refer to a prehistoric stone circle which was thought to be near-by although no trace of any such feature remains today. Quarles has an entry in the Domesday Book of 1085. In the great book Quarles is recorded by the names Gueruelei, and Huerueles. The manor is Kings Land and the main landholders being Roger. Like the names of many other families of ancient origin, the Quarles family name has been spelled many different ways down through the years. It appeared as Querueles in the Domesday Book of 1085-86.
Following are the names of a few members of our family as they appeared in English Public Records over a four century period.
- 1198 – Martin de Warfles
- 1202 – John de Warfles
- 1247 – Nicolas de Qarueles
- 1265 – John Qwarle
- 1302 – Ralph de Quarles
- 1349 – Robert de Quarles
- 1406 – John Wharles
- 1454 – William Warles
- 1481 – Henry Quardelas
- 1484 – Richard Quarles
- 1543 – Francis Quarells of Ufford
After the middle of the 16th Century the name has been consistently spelled “QUARLES” although we know that American members have sometimes spelled it Qualls, Quailes, and Quales.
Quarles is a Hamlet within the civil parish of Holkham in the English county of Norfolk. The Hamlet is 4 miles (6.4 km) miles south west of Wells next the Sea, 34 miles (55 km) miles north west of Norwich and 122 miles (196 km) miles north north east of London. The nearest railway station is Sheringham for the Bitter Line which runs between Sheringham, Cromer and Norwich. The nearest airport is Norwich International Airport. The parish of Holkham, in which Quarles is situated, had in 2001 census, a population of 236. For the purposes of local government, the parish falls within the district of North Norfolk. The hamlet is just south of the Holkham Estate and consists of six houses and one farm.
Our direct line of decendants to the best of our knowledge is as follows:
???? Querueles – 1085 – ??
- Born in St. Martin De Quarles, Norfolk Co. England.
John de (Warfles) Querueles – 1202 – ??
Nicolas de Querueles – 1247 – 1310
John Qwarles – 1265 – 1325
Ralph de Quarles – 1302 – ??
William de Quarles – 1332 – ??
William Quarles, of Ufford Quarles, Esq. – ~1390 – 1420
- WILLIAM QUARLES, of Ufford, in Northants, temp. Henry V., father of Thomas Quarles, of Ufford, father of Henry Quarles and John Quarles, of Ufford, gent, who married Amy Plumsted, and had by her:
- George Quarles, of Ufford, Esq., his heir.
- William Quarles.
- Henry Quarles, a priest.
- Elizabeth, married John Norsike.
- Marg[a]ret, married Richard Wingfield, of Upton, co. Northants., Esq.
Links to additional material:
- http://spenserians.cath.vt.edu/BiographyRecord.php?action=GET&bioid=35845
- ‘The nobilities of Europe (1909)
- http://www.archive.org/details/nobilitiesofeuro01ruviuoft
- http://www.archive.org/stream/nobilitiesofeuro01ruviuoft#page/141/mode/1up
- QUARLES. William Quarles [descended from ‘William Quarels, Lord of the Barony of Quarles, who came in 1420 from Scotland and settled in Northamptonshire, where he m. Catherine Ufford‘ of the family of the Earls of Suffolk, and great-grandson of John Quarles, b. in London 1594, a Gentleman of the Privy Chamber to the Princess Elizabeth, afterwards Queen of Bohemia, who came to the Netherlands with her court 1625, and settled in Rotterdam, where he d. 12 May 1662, having m. there 31 Oct. 1628 Petronella, da. of Gerard Van Berckel, who d. there 1 Dec. 1648] was by letters patent of the Emperor Charles VI., dated 14 Oct. 1751, cr. a BARON OF THE HOLY ROMAN EMPIRE as BARON QUARLES OF QUARLES (FREIHERR QUARLES VON QUARLES), with rem. to the heirs male of his body. His son Pierre Guillaume Louis, 2nd BARON QUARLES DE QUARELS was ENROLLED among the Dutch Nobility under the same title 16 Sept 1815. Title still existing. See p. 34.
- QUARLES. Mr. Willen Quarles van Ufford, b. 1751, d. 1826 [descended from Loderwyk Quarles van Ufford, yr. brother of William, 1st Baron Quarles of Quarles [H.R.E.], see above], was 16 Sep. 1816 cr. by King William I. a JONKHEER [Netherlands], for himself and his descendants. Title still existing. See p. 38.
Thomas Quarles – ~1420 – 1462
- Wife – Catherine De Ufford
- Thomas Quarles of Ufford was the son of William Quarles. He was the father of Henry Quarles and John Quarles. Henry died without heirs and John inherited. John Quarles married Amy of Plumsted and had five children.Some sources show him as John Quarles, but the biography of his descendant, Sir Francis Quarles, Poet Laureate, gives his name as Thomas.Links to additional material:
Sir John Quarles, Esq. – 1466 – 1539 (John Quarles, of Ufford, Gentleman)
- Wife Amy Plumsted
Disputed*
George Quarles, Esquire, of Ufford, 1466 – 1535 (m. Margaret Browne)
Auditor to King Henry VIII
or
William Quarles – 1475 – 1507? Of Northamtonshire, Gresham
- Married Emme Buck of Blakeney in Norfolk.
Some have George’s brother William Quarles and Emma (Buck) Quarles (daughter of Robert and Johan Heigham Buck and granddaughter of John Buck) as parents of John Quarles, the draper. However, William died in 1507 and the following source strongly supports George as the father: Biography: Alexander B. Grosart on Francis Quarles from Introduction in Complete Works in Prose and Verse of Francis Quarles (1880) 1:ix-xxiv. Still, according to researcher Stephen Quarles, there are “many supposedly reliable sources citing William as the father including a scroll from 1765 that traces links to Dutch royalty through one of the brothers” as seen on the Dutch Archives. Stephen says that if George isn’t the father, then he took care of his nephew. Stephen includes sources on his site at Quarles Family Tree including the previously mentioned biography, which support George as the father.
John Quarles, Esq. – 1508 – Nov. 12 1577
- John Quarles was a Master Draper & lived in the Parish of St Peter Le Poer, London.
- John Quarles was married three times; firstly to Alice Handley with whom he had John Quarles the elder, Benedict Quarles, William Quarles, Anne Quarles & Margaret Quarles. Secondly to Dorothy Dayrell ( who had earlier been married to Walter Yonge)with whom he had Francis Quarles, Judith Quarles, John Quarles the younger, and Edward Quarles. His third marriage was to Agnes (Anne) Greenway who was previously married to John Howland.
- Heare lye Interred John Quarles late Citizen and Draper of London and Alice Dandley, Dorothy Darrell and Agnes Greenway, the wyves of the said John, whiche John died the twelveth daye of November 1577, Alice died the …. daie of 1552, Dorothy died the sixth daie of January 1570 and Agnes died the 12th daie of Aprell 1588, whiche Agnes was also the wyfe of John Howland, late Citizen and Salter of the said Citte.
John Quarles (John the Younger) – 1563 – 1601 (St. Katherine London, Middlesex, England)
- Married Elizabeth Billingsley in 1590
- Member of the Virginia Company and he or his older brother (also John) registered the Family Coat of Arms 1577
- The son of John Quarles, draper of London, John Junior, was also a draper. He was born in 1563 and in 1590 married Elizabeth Billingsley, daughter of Sir Henry Billingsley, Lord Mayor of London. He became a very wealthy man, interested in real estate and mercantile efforts. He evidently desired the prestige of a family that had official public recognition and on February 15, 1577 he registered his coat of arms. (Quarlesiana – No. 4 p. 19) He was a member of the Virginia Company of 1609. (Bemis p. 17) The charter of this company “proposed that me subscribe atg the rate of 12 pounds 10 shillings per share to a common stock that would be invested and rfeinvested over the term of the next seven years. Although special good fortune might justify a dividend of some part of the earnings at an earlier date, there would be no final dividend, which at that time meant a division of capital as well as the promised then would include a grant of land in Virginia as well as a return of the capital with profit.” (Craven p. 17) It is obvious that John Quarles saw in his investment in Virginia Company a chance to acquire profit or perhaps some land in Virginia. In a legal action against John Quarles in June of 1601, when the case was brought to court, the counsel of Quarles secured a postponement of the hearing because “Quarles and his witnesses and proofs were and now are beyond the seas on his trade of merchandise.” (Decree- Court of Exchequer – 203) The two previous statements are made to give some credence to the claim that John and Richard Quarles, two of the sons of John came to Virginia and that one of them became the progenitor of the Quarles family of King-William and Caroline Counties Virginia. (Source: Geni.com)
Richard Quarles – 1595 – 1640
- Married Ellen ? Moved from London, Middlesex, England to Virginia
John Quarles – 1639 – 1680
- Married Francis West
- Rappahannock County, Virginia, Colonial America
John, Gent (Capt) Quarles – 1665 – 1741
- Married Jane Mallory
- (Captain), Vestryman of St. John’s Parish, VA
Roger Quarles Sr. – 1695 – 1751
- Married Jane Tunstall in 1719
Roger Quarles II – 1720 – 1790
- Married Mary Goodloe in 1749 and had 10 children. Mary Goodloe’s family can be traced back to 1252 on the Isle of Man
Lt. William Pennington Quarles – 1752 – 1814
- Married Nancy Ann Hawes in 1783 and had 10 children. One child, John Adams Quarles went on to be know as Uncle John Quarles to Samuel Clemens.
- The WPQ & AHQ Children Were:
- Tabitha Quarles 1784 – William Hawes
- Mary (Polly) Goodloe Quarles 1786 – Harrison Irby Hughes
- Nancy Hawes Quarles 1788 – William Burton
- Elizabeth Jane Quarles 1790 – Charles Burton
- Francis Dorothy Quarles 1794 – William Thomas Little
- William Hawes Quarles 1794 – Ruth Hyder
- James Tompkins Quarles 1796 – Mary Diana Simpson
- Sarah (Sallie) Wesley Quarles 1798 – Adam Huntsman
- John Adams Quarles 1800 – Martha Lampton
- Catherine (Kitty) Baxter Quarles 1802 – William Snodgrass
- William P. Quarles was a Charter Member of the Society of the Cincinnati.
- Politically associated with several of our Founding Fathers through the Society.
- Virginia Land Owner
- Lawyer
- Judge
- Politically associated with The Adams Famil
- William P. Quarles and Wife Ann Hawes Quarles were married in 1783 and had 10 Children prior to moving west.
- There is some speculation that William P. Quarles originally came to the site with a smaller group and arrived on Christmas Day of 1804.
- It is believed that the Fall of 1809 was the date that he brought the larger group of 48 that included the Family and In-Laws.
- He brought his family, 30 Slaves and all the In-Laws in the Fall of 1809. About 48 people in all.
- The Sons-In-Law:
- William Hawes
- Harrison Irby Hughes
- William Burton
- Charles Burton
- William Hawes Quarles, Born April 13th 1794 was 11 years old in April of 1805 when his Father sent him on a horse to find Sparta and buy some supplies.
- William Hawes Quarles was a Merchant and Farmer.
- Uncle Billy ran the Family Business from age 20 until the house burned down in approximately 1844.
- The Family re-built a house at the site of the current White Plains Golf Pro Shop and continued to run the Plantation from there until that house burned down in 1848.
- A smaller house was built on the same site in 1848 and remained there until Fred Burton replaced it.
Stephen Decatur Quarles – 1843 – 1920
- Married Zahillia Jones and had 4 children. Later married Mary Ann King and had 4 children.
Stephen Brice Quarles – 1893 – 1979
- Married Lottie Phillips and had 2 children. Later married Vashti McCord and had 1 child.
Stephen Richard Quarles – 1948 – ????
- Married Joan Taylor and had 2 children. Later married Gina Fratini and had 1 child.