Hurley Family Tree

Confirmation of arms dated 1 Nov 1854 by Ulster King of Arms to Robert Conway Hurly of Tralee, Esq. (b. 1815, d. 1870), eldest son of John Hurly of Tralee (Clerk of the Crown, JP), grandson of another John Hurly (also Clerk of the Crown, JP), both deceased. States the family is "of the Ancient Irish family of HURLY or O'HURLY," descended from Sir Thomas Hurly, Baronet of Knocklong (descent not detailed in the confirmation itself).

Arms confirmed: Azure, on a fesse between three crosses crosslet Or, a dexter hand couped between two mullets Gules.
Crest: Out of an antique Irish crown Or, a naked arm embowed proper, holding a cross crosslet Gold.
Motto: DEXTRA CRUCE VINCIT ("The right hand conquers by the cross").

The confirmation is only to the descendants of the grandfather John Hurly; it does not prove the Knocklong/Sir Thomas descent, only that it "hath made it appear." Compared against a 1734 registered pedigree (Macnamara pedigree, GO arms key no. 18), the earlier Hurly arms had THREE mullets on the fess and no hand; the 1854 confirmation replaced the centre mullet with a dexter hand couped, possibly a baronet's badge.

Also printed in Burke's General Armory (1884), p. 522, as one of three distinct Hurley/Hurly coats (the other two: an English "Hurley" with a crescent and trefoils, and a separate Munster "Hurley" registered in Ulster's Office with a cross and five frets - unrelated in design).

An early-1900s "Armorial Families" entry (p. 844) repeats this exact arms/crest/motto and carries the pedigree forward: Robert Conway Hurly's sons John Conway Hurly (Capt., South Lancs Regt, b.1862), Rev. Francis Thomas Barnewall Hurly, and Major Maurice Randall Hurly (33rd Burma Infantry, b.1864); and a separate Fenit House, Co. Kerry branch (John Hurly, d.1878, and his son John Charles Denis Hurly, High Sheriff of Kerry 1888). See related source "Armorial Families: Hurly of Fenit House, Co. Kerry."

Full transcription, translation and analysis kept in D. Hurley's Claude research project ("Ballinacarriga Castle"), file claude/confirmation-of-arms-hurly-1854.txt.