De Lacey family
 

Yesterday I met a Mr de Lacey. He reacted to my telling him that I was aware of his family's connections with Hyndburn by telling me that he had traced his ancestry back to 900 AD. The family owned loads of land throughout the country as well as locally. There is a De Lacey Arms pub in Ribchester.

He has recently worked in Church, but I didn't ask where.

Few others will be able to get back as far as pre-Conquest with their family tree.

Re: De Lacey family
 

I may be wrong, but I think he is only able to trace his family back so far because they were rich landowners.

I have been looking for my ancestors for the last couple of years...and it is very interesting, but when the ancestors were labourers, cotton weavers and coal miners....poorly educated, you run into problems relating to the transcription of records...and the fact that these people often could not write their names, and if they could, different spelling of the names mean that for people like me there is much uncertainty.

I wish that when my grandparents were alive, I had asked more questions, that I had listened and taken more notice of the stories and the names of the people in their lives.

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I suspect that, in more recent times, the family has not been wealthy, but you are right Margaret so far as the early records of the family are concerned..

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It is definitely the early records which are problematic.
If you are descendants of what was once a land owning wealthy family, then there are far more clues to lead you down the right path...and you can usually find more than one confirmatory source.
It is much harder when you are relying on copper plate parish records, bishops registers and the faded census forms.
My Ancestry 'shoebox' is full of 'maybe' ancestors...and the sad truth is I will probably never really know for sure.
It is still a tantalising pursuit.

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I find this a very interesting thread as maybe I’m related to the de Lacy family (however way it’s spelt – and whichever branch). If records are correct then Helena de Lacy (born about 1154 either in Pontefract Priory or Clitheroe Castle – depending on which record can be believed) married Pietro de Merclesden (who was a Chaplain) and they most likely became something like my 23 x grandparents.

I say 'maybe' because I have only been able to trace the Marsden family line of mine back to 1663 with any certainty but if I can believe so-called ‘evidence’ then my family line does include Pietro (Peter) and therefore Helena. Well anyway I’m claiming it does.

By the way, this Helena’s parents were apparently John FitzRichard de Lacy and Alice de Vere. As Johnny was Baron of Pontefract it makes sense that Helena was born there and not Clitheroe, whether it makes sense that she was my grandmother 23 times removed is another question.

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You are right Retlaw about the discrepancies in the recording of things.
Another thing that sometimes trips you up is that someone who you think might belong on your tree pops up somewhere like Ealing.
Now back (early 1800's) most people stayed with a couple of miles of where they were born.
But, it is crazy to discount these possibilities until you have done further research.
One of my rellies lurked in the 'shoebox' for ages....until I found an early census with him on it, then a later one with his occupation as 'servant'...so he had moved away from his birthplace to find work...but later returned, married, but was still itinerant, because he was a commercial traveller....so again, he and his family popped up in Warwickshire, Lincolnshire and Yorkshire.

Tracing your ancestors is definitely a pursuit that COULD make you insane...it certainly turns my brain to porridge.

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Dorothy, I take my hat off to you...For your persistence and detective skills.
Respect!!!

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Yes, and this is where the census documents are very informative, they give the occupation, though some of them are very difficult to read as they are faded.

I got hooked on a free taster. I don't regret it because I have learned a lot.

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One of the major companies is having a 'free weekend' this Easter. Ancestry I think.

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Yes, they are...that is how I got addicted to looking for my rellies...a free weekend.

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You may find, Margaret, that we are related. My aunt, Grace, married Tom Pilkington (RIP) of Ossie about 1953. I know that Atarah Hindle also has Pilks in her family tree

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I will look out for your rellies...though you do realise that I am only a Pilkington by marriage.
My real allegiance is to the Duxbury clan...I think there are some Hindles in that...but a long way back.