De Lacey family

[Bob Dobson]

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.

[Margaret Pilkington]

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.

[Bob Dobson]

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..

[Margaret Pilkington]

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.

[Retlaw]

Originally Posted by Bob Dobson

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.

Dobbo, when I was doing my reseach into the monks o Kirkstall's occupation of Accrington, the name de Lacy cropped up several times. Ilbert de Lacy came over to England with William the Conk, I traced the family line to late 1200's when the last male de Laxy died, his Cousin Audrey, she took over the family holdings, she then married a Fitzgerald, he changed his name to de Lacy, so he could rule the roost as it were. Therefore no way is he a true de Lacy
I also translated several of the Latin documents from the Coucher Book of Kirkstall, up to when King Edward topped his nephew Thomas Earl of Lancaster for getting uppity, he had 1/8th de Lacy blood in his veins. Edward then seized the lands of Lancashire, thats why they've been crown holdings ever since.

[Retlaw]

Originally Posted by Margaret Pilkington

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.

Never mind Margaret it will kep you alive even if you go insane trying, I remember when I was indexing parish registers, one family line on Clayton, there were 3 sons who all took their first born son to be baptiised, and each was named John after their grandfather, all born with 12 months of one another, you'd be in your element with that lot, another greaat stumbling block is when the calender change took place, and the year started in January instead of Easter, if yu didn't watch it you coud have children dead before they were born, or should I say baptised. another one is some times a sickly child didn't get baptised till it was much older, as folk couldn't afford the vicars fees, if it was guing to die any way, some times the parents either forgot or didnt bother until compulsory registation came in. Just for you to have a laugh Margaret, I have ever been baptised either, thats appen why I'm such a you know what heathen

[dotti34]

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.

[Margaret Pilkington]

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.

[Margaret Pilkington]

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

[Retlaw]

Originally Posted by Margaret Pilkington

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.

Back in those days, yes most folk didn't move very far from home, but it wasn't always the case with their children, especially if they lived in a rural area, many girls had to become servants, and then traveled with their new masters & mistresses, my own grandmother was born in Scotland, and finished up as a servant in Whalley Abbey.
Young lads could get jobs on the land if they had strong backs, many joined the army some as young as 14, one lad of 15 was killed at the battle of Rourkes Drift.
Then we have the Irish famine, they were constantly moving around Lancashire looking for work, marrying, then moving again, some eventualy going back to Ireland.
Then you get the Navvies, they did travel a heck of a lot, my Gt Grandma married a navy, and ended up having their first child in France, then back to England, then eventually she ended up in Baxenden, where my grandad was born, where her husband went to - who knows I don't

[Margaret Pilkington]

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.

[Bob Dobson]

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

[Margaret Pilkington]

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

[Bob Dobson]

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

[Margaret Pilkington]

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.