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The Neely family certainly share the resourcefullness of their ancestors. Despite extensive research, it proved impossible to find a historic coat of arms associated with the name in any of its guises, so they decided to commission their own - pictured above.

Historiography

This "Neely" Coat of Arms was designed by the Irish heraldic artist, Eddie Geoghegan, based on information supplied by James Robert Neely in 2000. It is described as follows:

Arms: Argent on a mound Vert a tower triple-towered Sable, in chief a dexter hand appaumé couped at the wrist Gules.

Crest: Out of a ducal coronet Or a demi-eagle displayed Sable langued Gules. Motto: Multi domi una gens.

The shield depicts the homeland of this family in Ulster with a small Castle and the Red Hand of Ulster. The Crest is comprised of a Crown signifying Honor, with an emerging Eagle that represents Freedom and Courage. The motto means many homelands, one family.

Clan an Fhilidh is a collective for the different spellings of this group derived from the name Mac an Fhilidh (pronounced Mak onn Eely) meaning "Son of the Poet" who originated in Dail Riada along the coast of northern Ireland. This nation of Gaels, called Scot in Latin, eventually came to dominate the native Picts and rule the north of Britain (Scotland) in 300-800 AD. Some remained in Scotland while others stayed in Ireland. Among these emerged the O'Neill clan in Ulster (Niall of the Nine Hostages). Some of the O'Neill clan left Ireland 900-1050 AD for the Hebridean Island of Barra and formed Clan MacNeil. Later, some of Clan MacNeil moved to other islands, including Ghia, and to the Scottish coast area of Galloway around Wigtownshire, The name here became variants of MacNeillie and MakNely. Black's Surnames of Scotland mentions Duncan M'Nely was a witness in Wigtownshire in 1426 and Ronald Maknely in Galloway in 1473.

It is believed that it is from this family group that the Neelys, Neeleys, Neillys, Nealys, etc. began to spread into other parts of Scotland, England and Ulster, Ireland in the 16th and 17th centuries. There is a record of Robert Neeley living in Berwick in 1574. Thomas Neeley was married in Earls Cone, Essex in 1609, Thomas Neely was married in Aylestone, Leicester in 1611 and Ursula Neeley was born about 1612 in Hertfordshire. The 1659 "Census" of Ireland lists McNeelys in Co. Antrim. The earliest adult record found to date in Ireland was "William Neely with sword only" listed in the 1631 Muster Roll of Co Donegal living in Innishowen Barony on the Chichester estate, indicating they were not "native" Irish. The Mormon LDS records show a William Neely of Burt born in 1621 in Co Donegal who is assumed to be his first son. Therefore, we assume the area where they first lived was around Burt Castle on the Chichester estates, about 5 miles west of Londonderry. LDS records and Register of Derry Cathedral 1635-1708 list a series of Neelys born around the general area of Londonderry from about 1621 to 1635, including John Neely of Cumber, born about 1625. These are assumed to be the children of William and indicate he had arrived before 1621. Current speculation is that he may have come as a young soldier from Wigtownshire, Scotland in 1608 with William Stewart in response to the Irish uprising by Sir Cahir O'Doherty who owned Burt Castle until defeated in 1608. If so, the first William was probably born about 1590 (18 years old in 1608) and married about 1620. There are records that two brothers, William and John Neely from Donegal, were in the Laggan Army and received grants of land in Co Tyrone in 1650 from the Crown.

The Neelys remained around Londonderry and southern Co. Tyrone until after 1690. Shortly thereafter, the "Neelys" began to immigrate from Ulster to America with the earliest waves of the Scots-Irish. The first went to Ulster and Orange Co, New York in the early 1700's. There is a record of a John Neely who purchased land there in 1705. The town records list many Neelys in the time of 1714 and later. A settlement called Neelytown or Neeleytown was established. As the Neelys arrived in New York and elsewhere, the spelling was done phonetically so that we have records of Neeley, Neelly, Nealy, etc. In Ireland, this was also done in the 1700's so that Neeley, Neilly and other spellings began to appear there. More Neelys from Ulster began arriving directly to Pennsylvania and other eastern states around 1730, then began moving south to Virginia and the Carolinas in the mid 1700's for new land. Immigration to America as well as Scotland, England, Canada and other parts of Ireland as well as other countries continued during the latter 1700's and then in the 1800's.

The Neelys were in the forefront of the early pioneers depicted in American history. They were prominent in the Revolutionary war and then began moving west through Tennessee, Kentucky, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, Ohio and on to Texas, Oklahoma and other states as they helped settle America.