Researching Harold Colley
Explore the detail of Harold Colley using the links below. We hope you find this information useful!
![]() | Did you know that in the 1881 UK census there were 3796 people with the Colley surname? In that year Colley was ranked number 1123 for popularity in the UK. |

The name Harold means "army-power" and is of English origin.
Records of Harold Colley on Ancestry
Ancestry is a major source of information if you are filling out the detail of Harold Colley in your family tree. Many large databases are available to search covering from births, deaths and marriages, military records, census records and immigration records with many other smaller collections too. Free trials are normally available and are a good way to fill out a lot of your tree quickly.
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Ancestry.com Global records search results for Harold Colley. |
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Ancestry.com US records search results for Harold Colley. |
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Ancestry.co.uk UK records search results for Harold Colley. |
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Ancestry.ca Canadian records search results for Harold Colley. |
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Ancestry.com.au Australian records search results for Harold Colley. |
DNA
Sometimes you can run into a brick wall in your tree and you just don't have enough evidence to make that next step back in time. If you are lucky then you may find some previously undiscovered Colley ancestors. Additionally, the modern DNA test can give you a breakdown of your ethnic mix - you may be surprised at the results!
Have you reached a brick wall in your Colley Tree?
Birth, Death and Marriage Records for Harold Colley and the Colley Genealogy
Birth, Death and Marriage records are often the best method of making the links to the Colley Genealogy that will form part of your family tree. Although records vary from country to country, they are normally the most formal record of a person's relations. From the sources below you will be able to find a birth record and, from that, a birth certificate can be ordered which lists the names of the mother and father, taking you back another generation in your tree. A marriage certificate may also list the names of the respective fathers of the bride and groom which may then help you to find them earlier in life on a census record enabling you to fill out more detail in the Colley family tree.
Explore Parish Records for Harold Colley at Find My Past.
Explore for the UK registered births, marriages and deaths of Harold Colley using the FreeBMD database.
Study Genealogy Bank for Harold Colley records.
Check out MyHeritage for Harold Colley information.
Study the LDS Database for records about Harold Colley.
Research the Colley surname using fold3 Military Archives and view images of original Colley Military records.
![]() | Did you know that there are currently 5549 people with the Colley surname in the UK? Colley is now ranked number 1069 for popularity in the UK. |
Colley Genealogy Databases
Another way to build your tree quickly is to use the research other people have already done. This can help to confirm or refute your own deductions - however, be wary of taking this data at face value as other researchers may not have been as meticulous as you. Always try to back up deductions with some definitive sources rather than relying too heavily on others.
Look at the WikiTree database for user contributed records for Harold Colley.
Study MyTrees for information on the Colley family and people looking to contact living Colley relations.
Explore One Great Family for Colley records submitted by people who are already researching the Colley Family Tree.
Find Harold Colley from Ireland on findmypast.ie
Colley Forums
There are a number of forums which are dedicated to rearching particular surnames. These can be good places to share your findings and also to tap into the knowledge that others may already have. These can sometimes be a good way of finding living relations as these tend not to show up on the other sources of information for privacy reasons.
Research the Colley surname using Genealogy.com forums .
![]() | Did you know that there are currently 9115 people with the Colley surname in the USA? Colley is ranked number 154 for popularity in the USA. |
Miscellaneous Colley Databases
Look at the Ellis Island Database for information on Harold Colley. This database contains over 25 million immigration records detailing passengers arriving in the United States of America.
Some Famous People called Harold Colley
Harold John Colley
Harold John Colley VC MM (26 May 1895 – 25 August 1918) was an English recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces. He was born at 60 Winson Street in Birmingham. The family moved to Smethwick sometime prior to the 1911 Census, where they can be found at 74 Cheshire Road in Smethwick, England. This was his home address during the First World War.
Colley was 24 years old, and an acting sergeant in the 10th Battalion, The Lancashire Fusiliers, British Army during the First World War when the following deed took place for which he was awarded the VC.
On 25 August 1918 at Martinpuich, France, during a strong counter-attack Sergeant Colley's company was holding an advanced position with two platoons in advance and two in support. The forward platoons were ordered to hold on at all costs and Sergeant Colley went, without orders, to help these two platoons. He rallied the men, then formed a defensive flank and held it, although out of the two platoons only three men remained unwounded and the sergeant himself was dangerously wounded and died the same day. It was entirely due to his action that the enemy was prevented from breaking through.
His Victoria Cross is displayed at the Fusilier Museum, Bury, Lancashire. On 25 August 2018, the centenary of his death, a commemorative paving stone in his honour was unveiled in Smethwick. Colley is also the subject of a bronze memorial plaque in the vestibule of Smethwick Council House, as well as being included in the list of names on the memorials at Bearwood Baptist Church and St. Mary's Church - both in Bearwood.
Source: Harold John Colley, Wikipedia, The Free EncyclopediaOther names that sound a bit like Colley
Family names can get corrupted over time, particularly where literacy was not as good. The following list contains some names that have similar sounds so you may want to also look at one or two of the more likely possibilites.
Cael Cahall Cahela Cahil Cahill Cahl Cail Caile Cailey Caille Cailleway Caillou Caiola Calaway Calay Cale Calewe Caley Cali Calio Call Callaghy Callaway Calle Callew Calley Callow Calloway Callway Callwaye Callwayey Calow Caloway Calway Calwe Caughel Caughell Caule Cauley Cawley Cayle Cayleway Caylewe Cayley Caylleway Ceeley Ceely Cehl Celaya Celhay Celia Cell Cella Celle Celli Cello Chahal Chailewai Chaille Chaillou Challa Cheal Cheale Cheel Cheley Chell Chellew Chelley Chile Chill Chilla Chilley Chloe Cilley Claw Clawe Clay Claye Clee Cleh Clehy Cleugh Clew Cloe Clough Clow Cloy Clue Clugh Cly Coal Coale Coelho Coghill Coghille Coheley Coil Coile Coiley Col Colaw Cole Colee Coley Coll Colla Colle Collie Collough Collow Colly Cooil Cool Coole Cooley Coule Coull Cowell Cowely Cowill Cowl Cowle Cowley Cowwell Coyle Cuel Cuell Cuello Cull Cullagh Culley Cullie Cully Culy





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