Author Archives: genealogy1066

H. C. Maxwell Lyte’s ‘Ancient Deeds’ (London, 1894), gives a record of a family Porter, hereditary (if the abbot agreed the succession) officers of Pershore Abbey, Worcestershire. A porter was an officer of considerable trust, who had to determine when … Continue reading →

What follows is but a précis of THE ANCESTRY OF SOLOMON HARRIS – HARRIS GROUP 4. It attempts to make a more concise account of how the ancestry of specific American families of Harris can be traced to their English … Continue reading →

What is seen between ca. 1630-1770 in Virginia and Carolina, etc., is colonisation by closely connected families from the same English regions. If a Somerset family of Harris, intermarried by the 1630’s with Blakes and Westbrookes (all of the same … Continue reading →

The level of inbreeding within English kinship groups makes DNA ‘results’ very questionable as to the closeness of proposed relationships; people being denoted as a sibling or cousin, when, in fact, a relationship as a distant cousin may be more … Continue reading →

          17th century Bristol Just as DNA transmits generationally, so did surnames of association, with families repeatedly intermarrying with each other, and retaining peripheral associations they held in common (the basis of the English kinship system). … Continue reading →

I have been asked to ‘flesh out’ that portion of my notes on Edith Cripps by Harris researchers who believe there was a strong connection between Edward Harris, d. 1677, and Thomas Harris, d. 1688. My view is to the … Continue reading →

1. … 1.1. George Moore, of Bristol, b. 1632, m. Jane Barcroft, dau. of Charles Barcroft, whose family held land in Chard, Somerset. 1.1.1. Ann Moore, m. Thomas White. Their estate was appraised between March 22, 1741 and July 26, … Continue reading →

It can not be known for certain who was the Potter who had land adjacent that of Michael Holland of Goochland. Yet, if he was connected to the transportee of Thomas Wiggins in Surry Co, June 16, 1714 (Thomas Potter), … Continue reading →

The earliest mention of someone named Proctor connected to the Taunton area of Somerset concerns a John Proctor, who was obviously a person of some eminence: Tripartite Indenture. (1) Thomas Oueray, clerk, Precentor of Cathedral Church of Wells, Richard Warre … Continue reading →

If we imagine that a common ancestor of the various Harris families of Somerset was born in 1450, and had three sons, and each of these had three sons, then, if this pattern was repeated over each generation, he would … Continue reading →

What passes as ‘factual’ in most accounts of the earliest lineage of the Norman Dukes is nothing more than a preference for a Norwegian or Danish origin, fiercly contested in the 19th century by nationalistic zealots. Later accounts employed the … Continue reading →

GENERAL INTEREST There are extraordinary insights to be gained from the study of medieval charters, especially those translated by such luminaries as Francis Peck (The Antiquarian Annals of Stanford in Lincoln, 1727). We can glean much of the mindset of … Continue reading →

English kinship group dynasties crossed as stream in Virginia, sometimes confusing their source. 1. John Symes. Amy Horner. 1.1. Thomas Symes, 1621-1670, m. (3 June 3, 1640) Amy Bridges, 1621-1662, dau. of Edward Bridges (d. 1639), Esquire, of Keynsham, by … Continue reading →

1. Thomas Harris, d. 1688. 1.1. Edward Harris, d. March 25, 1734, in IOW, m. Mary Turner, dau. of John Turner, who d. aft March 25, 1705; aunt of John Turner, b. 1687, d. bef. Dec. 3, 1761, who m. … Continue reading →

The greatest mistake made in the analysis of early English settlers of Virginia is to apply the concept of ‘randomness’ to their places of settlement and interactions. This is merely and wrongly to apply modern ways of living to a … Continue reading →

Those surviving details of the ancestry of the first two waves of English settlers of Virginia are to be found in early Wills. These are scarce in relation to actual settlers, rather than assumed ones, plucked from the pages of … Continue reading →

THE KNIGHTLY ANCESTRY OF BARTHOLOMEW OWEN 1. Berde (standardised spelling); alias Burd, Byrd, etc. 1.1. Alice Berde, m. Thomas Knight, of Milverton, May 13, 1563, in Wiveliscombe. 1.1.1. William Knight, bapt. Oct. 27 1570. 1.1.1.1. Elizabeth Knight, m. William Owen. … Continue reading →

This article commences with introductory notes that give a brief outline of the familial connections of the Bennett, Berde, Harris, and Knight families of Wiveliscombe, Somerset. They are principally for the benefit of new readers of this blog, as older … Continue reading →

1. Robert Williams (1509-1569, m. (2) Anne, dau, of the said Sir Thomas de la Lynde, sheriff of Dorset. 1.1. Sir John Williams (1545-1616), Sheriff of Dorset, m. Eleanor, dau. of Henry Uvedale, Sheriff of Somerset, and constable of Corfe … Continue reading →

The ancestry oy the Upton family of Devon and Cornwall is as well documented as it is legitimate (a rarity), and deserves a seperate notice than is given hereinafter. Suffice it for now to state the existence of three brothers, … Continue reading →