The southern Gurleys were involved in the colonial settlements in Virginia; they migrated into North Carolina. As states and territories opened, the migration continued into South Carolina, Tennessee, Georgia, Mississippi, Alabama, Arkansas, Oklahoma, and Texas. From the Revolutionary War, the War of 1812, the Civil War, and national battles since, the Gurley's served and fought for what they believed in. The Gurleys served their communities as business leaders, clergy, and teachers. They worked as farmers, storekeepers, factory workers, and as skilled and unskilled labor.
The data on this site focuses on documented sources and research. The information sourced on this site is generally believed to be accurate. I have researched the Gurleys of the south since 1995 and tried to use the original primary sources first. I have travelled to libraries, universities, courthouses, cemeteries and churches and used the work of other living and long passed researchers as a guide.
I have met amazing people along the way. I cannot begin to thank the folks who work in libraries, historical centers, and universities for their patience and help. Many researchers and their families shared boxes of research, photos, and computer files with me. Special thanks to the works I found by, the meals shared, and the conversations I had with some of these folks: John Miller Bradley, Byron Gibson, Carl Gurley, Dennis Gurley, Don Gurley, Donald H. Gurley, Henry Frasier Gurley, Larry Gurley, Mozelle Gurley, The Hall Family of Huntsville, Betty Hughes, Virginia Meynard, Justus Moll, Rev. William Curtis Cockman, Ginger Powers, Ken Sims, and Rev. Charles Rogers and many others that I have cooresponded with via email. Thanks to all!
Over my 25+ years of research, I have found no scrap of paper or documentation that allowed me to leap across the ocean to Ireland, Scotland or even England. In fact, no reliable source has been located that indicates where the Gurley's came from before they appeared in the colony of Virginia in the late 1600's. The best link to a pedigree can be inferred by reading about the orders that George Gurley received to travel to England for ordination into the church in the early 1700's. Fortunantely, we can now look beyond the paper and microfilm records and can do detailed DNA research to follow some of these paths.
As you look thru the data, you will notice that nothing is included for any of us still living. Just for reference, my line leads to John Gurley, the son of George Gurley, Senior (father of Rev. George Gurley).
Caution:There have been many genealogies of Gurley families published either in print or online that contain information that is not sourced. Many tales and stories exists about the Gurley's of the South, if I have included them, they are noted as an unsourced story. A.E. Gurley's work on the Gurley's of the south is one of those books and resources that includes non-sourced data or information that has been proven to be inaccurate. Many Gurley family files posted online use this as a source. On this site, if the source was verified, A.E. Gurley's work is sourced. A.E. Gurley is part of a different line that descends from the Northeast U.S. He began working on the Southern Gurley line shortly before he died. His notes were just a starting point, and many were neither verified nor well sourced.
The work on this line is not finished but here's the latest update on the Gurleys of the South. The research on this line has identified new ancestors, allowing descendants to join ancestral societies and make new connections. If you have corrections, questions, or suggestions, please feel free to contact me via email with questions, comments or revisions. (Updated by Ted M. Gurley 5/16/2026)