Have you ever wondered how Yorkshire you are? I’m not talking about participating in one of those internet surveys where you’re asked if you greet a person with ‘ey up’ ‘sithee’ or ‘narthen’, but more on the lines of how far back your Yorkshire ancestry goes.
While delving into my own family roots I uncovered something really surprising – no, not that I’m actually from Lancashire (I wouldn’t be readily spreading that kind of knowledge now would I?). Before I unveil the surprise, let me tell you about how it all started.
About forty years ago, my Dad informed me that he’d been told one of his ancestors was a Lord of the Manor in the Settle area. It was the spur I needed to dig into our past.
I traced the male Jackson line back to the 1400s. The family and branch lines were almost all concentrated around the West Riding and Pennine hills, moving from an agricultural background into more industrial occupations as the area became one of the country’s leading textile centres.
We had (sympathetic) ties with the Luddites, and produced some fine local citizens of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, but nothing the TV producers would consider worthy of featuring on Who Do You Think You Are?.
I had two DNA tests with different firms, and both confirmed that the bulk of my genes are strongly associated with Viking or Anglo-Saxon invaders. Assessing my genealogical and ancestry charts, it seems that more than 90 per cent of my ancestors over the last 600 years were born in Yorkshire.
No sign of the elusive Lord of the Manor, however. After a lull in research when family and work got in the way, I picked up the strands of a line on my mother’s side.
One of her great-grandmas was a lady called Ellen Jessop who was born at Earlsheaton, near Dewsbury, the daughter of clothier Benjamin Jessop who was born in 1775. Jessop is not a very common name – although there are plenty around Yorkshire – so tracing the family proved fairly straight forward.
I tracked Jessops via the Mirfield and Kirkburton areas right back to the 1450s and some landowning families in the Rotherham area. The impressive Broom Hall in Sheffield became home for one wealthier branch of the Jessops in the sixteenth century.
But my attention was grabbed further on discovering that my 12x great-grandfather, Richard Jessop (1530-1580), married Anne Swift in Rotherham. The Swifts were a prominent family of the time. Anne’s grandfather was Sir Robert Swift, a Sheriff of Yorkshire, who was knighted in York by James I in 1603 while his majesty was on his way to take possession of the throne of England.
At this stage of my investigations I felt satisfied to have connected with some wealthy, landowning toffs whose documented pedigree took me back to an Anthony Swift, born in 1420 – my 16x great-grandfather.
I later discovered that Anthony had married Fern Surtees in Rotherham in 1444. The surname fascinated me, and with it being unusual – and as I found, well-documented – I soon picked up the Surtees scent.
The family who were first recorded as having the surname Surtees, claim to be descended from a ruler called Siward (or Sigurd), a Scandinavian who became earl of Northumbria in the 11th century. Siward was in control of vast areas of the north and in particular what we now know as Yorkshire.
The ruling families of that time often gave themselves names and titles so everyone knew of their power and wealth. The big-wig family in the area around Dinsdale, on the border between the old kingdoms of Bernicia and Deira (roughly Northumberland and Yorkshire respectively) called themselves ‘super Teisam’ – Latin for ‘on the Tees’, referring to the river.
Ranulf super Teisam was around in the 1100s and was also recorded as Ranulf de Dinsdale. The family became well established in the area and over the years their surname was eventually written as Surteyse, Surteys and by the late 1300s as Surtees.
It turns out that Fern Surtees, my 16x great-grandmother, was daughter of Sir Richard Surtees of Dinsdale whose own father was Sir Alexander Surtees, born in 1357 and Sheriff of Northumberland. This pedigree is well documented way back to the aforementioned Siward.
Historians say that this line goes directly back to Oswald Cyning, King of Bernicia, an invasion leader whose descendants lived at an early Bamburgh Castle in Northumberland. I’ve always had a soft spot for that place but hadn’t realised my 35x great-grandfather had called it home. I must introduce myself next time I’m up there.
The line back to Oswald also branches sideways to Scandinavian royalty, but going back to my 28x great-grandfather, Aelsi de Teisa (Lord of Over Dinsdale) I discovered a link to our own royal family. Bear with me …
Aelsi married Egfrida FitzGamel who was daughter of Orm Fitzgamel. Our Orm (as I like to call him) married Etheldreda, granddaughter of Ethelred (The Unready – now there’s a family trait). This Ethelred is our present Queen Elizabeth’s 28x great-grandafther, and also my 31x great-grandfather. Therefore, Liz and I are both descended from Alfred the Great, King of Wessex, born 847.
Before anyone starts begging me for royal favours, I should point out that genealogists reckon millions of us are in some way or other related to ancient Viking and Anglo-Saxon invaders and also our present royal family. Finding the link is the tricky bit, though, and requires patience and perseverance – and about 40 years in my case. Now, after that diversion, I’m back to finding that link to Settle’s Lord of the Manor …
(Please note that I am an amateur genealogist and historian. To hire a professional to check and verify all the links in my tree is well beyond my pension.)
I’ve been researching my family tree for many years. To help other genealogists, here is a list of some of the surnames included in my tree – if you want further information about any of the families mentioned, feel free to contact me via the comments section on the home page. The vast majority of families included here are from the Yorkshire area.
Last Name – Usage – Earliest Date – Latest Date
ASHWORTH 12 1772 1908
ASPIN 3 1874 1900
ASQUITH 34 1663 1936
ATKINSON 10 1825 1868
AUSTIN 1 Oct 1925 8 Aug 2016
Aston 2 1741 1854
BARBER 9 1654 1852
BARKER 6 1565 27 Dec 1769
BARRANS 2 1858 1872
BLACKBURN 8 1707 1832
BLAKELEY 1 1806 1806
BOULD 2 1775 1775
BOYS 2 1725 1725
BRACEWELL 7 1696 1822
BRAY 7 1791 1881
BRAYSHAW 7 1862 1905
BRIGG 1 1796 1796
BRIGGS 1 1690 1690
BROOK 30 1796 17 Jun 1898
BROOKE 2 10 Mar 1619 13 Aug 1662
BROOKSBANK 32 1791 8 Aug 2016
BROWN 2 1788 1862
BUCKLEY 12 8 Oct 1787 1890
BURTON 1 1743 1743
Bailey 3 1763 1858
Bedford 1 1821 1821
Brearley 1
Bright 1 1566 1615
Broadbent 1
Bromsgrove 2 1741 1866
Bullus 2 1567 1638
Burland 2 1795 1894
CALVERT 1
CAWOOD 20 1590 1901
CHILD 2 1657 1683
COPLEY 2 1791 1791
CORDLEY 1 1695 1695
CORRISON 3 1827 1986
COULTAS 5 1705 1716
CRAWSHAW 1 1792 1873
CROFT 12 1773 1811
Clarke 1
Clayton 1
Cook 3 1825 1880
Crosby 9 1765 1949
Cudmore 1
DALE 1
DAWSON 13 1781 1860
DENTON 1
DEWHIRST 2 1780 1853
DILLWORTH 10 1771 1789
DILWORTH 6 29 Dec 1776 1835
Denham 1 1775 1775
Dews 1
EDMONDSON 24 1810 1997
EMSLEY 1 1789 1789
EXLEY 1 1744 1744
Earl 1 1787 1875
Ellis 1 1858 1921
FAWTHROP 9 1774 13 May 1852
FIELD 1
FIELDING 1
FIRTH 2 1605 1804
FORREST 1
FOULDS 5 1830 1865
FOXE 4 1521 1596
FRANCE 2 21 Oct 1780 21 Oct 1780
Fletcher 1 1851 1851
GARSIDE 2 22 Feb 1761 22 Feb 1761
GELDART 1 1651 1651
GIBSON 7 1799 1873
GILL 1 1947 8 Aug 2016
GOODALL 3 1845 1879
GORRILL 2 1686 1716
GREENWOOD 22 1812 1893
Gledhill 1
Gould 1
Green 2 1871 8 Aug 2016
HAIGH 6 1745 1794
HALEY 18 25 Nov 1716 1859
HAMPSON 5 1778 1805
HANNAM 3 1723 31 Aug 1773
HANSON 1 1922 8 Aug 2016
HARDCASTLE 2 18 Mar 1802 18 Mar 1802
HARDY 2 29 Jan 1693 5 Apr 1772
HARGREAVE 1
HARRISON 2
HAY 1 1749 1749
HEMYNE 1 1661 1713
HEPWORTH 52 1718 8 Aug 2016
HEY 1
HIGGINBOTTOM
HINSLIFF (HINCHCLIFF) 2 1711 1723
HIRST 4 1588 1663
HOBSON 11 1545 8 Aug 2016
HOLDEN 5 1832 1876
HUGHES 1
Hinchcliffe 1 1879 1942
Hine 1 1871 1909
Hodson 1 1749 1749
ILLINGWORTH 1
INMAN 23 1730 8 Aug 2016
Ibberson 2 1898 8 Aug 2016
Ineson 1 1831 1831
Inness 1
JACKSON 122 28 Feb 1613 8 Aug 2016
JESSOP 14 21 Jul 1745 1907
JONES 4 12 Oct 1985 8 Aug 2016
JOWETT 12 1766 1850
JOY 53 10 May 1731 27 Nov 1982
Jolliffe 9 1716 1850
KAYE 1
KEEN 6 1921 8 Aug 2016
KERSHAW 8 1778 1849
Kay 1 1786 22 Sep 1848
Kendal 1 1730 1730
Knowles 2 1874 1874
LEDGARD 7 4 May 1758 27 Oct 1824
LEE 1 1749 1 Oct 1809
LILEY 21 1796 Dec 1942
LOFT 2 1692 1692
LONGBOTTOM 1
Lambert 1
Ledsham 1 1775 1843
Lindsay 1 1877 1877
Lockatt 2 1785 1785
Lynam 1
MALLABURN 3 22 Feb 1999 8 Aug 2016
MARSDEN 10 1765 1916
MUDD 1 1919 2005
MUFFIT 2
MYERS 2 1765 1765
MacWilliams 1 1788 1828
Mitchell 1 1663 1663
Moffatt 1
Mortimer 1
Moseley 1 1870 1870
NAYLOR 2 1639 1855
NEWSOME 3 1729 1824
NORCLIFFE 2 1623 1649
Owthwaite 1
PARKE 1 1617 1617
PARKER 2 28 Jul 1742 28 Jul 1742
PICKARD 1
PICKERSGILL 1 1707 1707
PINDER 1
POPPLEWELL 18 1674 1748
PRESTON 1
PRIEST 1 1857 1857
PRIESTLEY 1
Parish 1 1818 1889
Parkin 1 1862 1862
Parton 1 1590 1590
Peel 2 1853 1853
Peer 1 1750 1794
RAYNER 7 19 Oct 1731 1758
REDMAINE 2 1730 1730
REYNOR 1
RHODES 2 1542 7 Oct 1649
RICHARDSON 15 1814 1955
RILEY 4 29 May 1802 22 Jul 1827
ROBINSON 3 1726 1798
ROUSE 3 1696 1724
ROWSE 12 1666 1725
Ryder 1
SASSELLS 1 1619 1 Dec 1675
SCHOLEFIELD 8 1719 3 Apr 1810
SCHOLFIELD 1 1796 1796
SCOTT 3 1792 1792
SECKER 2 1799 1840
SINGER 1 1776 1776
SMITH 37 30 Nov 1794 1886
SOUTH 8 2 Aug 1964 8 Aug 2016
STEPHENSON 1 1801 1801
STOTT 1
SUTHERD 1 1696 1768
SYKES 1
Sales 1 1941 8 Aug 2016
Sefton 3 1779 1888
Sheppard 1 1855 1855
Shooter 1 1547 1547
Simpson 1 1633 1654
Spivey 1
Starks 2 1816 1846
Stokes 1 1742 1822
TENNANT 8 1740 1902
THOMPSON 1
TOWNEND 17 1744 1901
Turton 1 1875 1875
Uln 1 1795 1867
Varley 1 1824 1824
WALBANK 1
WALKER 2
WALLBANK 2 1 Aug 1773 3 Mar 1803
WALSH 1
WARDMAN 2 1806 1806
WATSON 1
WEBSTER 2 1720 1720
WESTERN 1
WHITAKER 1
WILBY 8 1682 1726
WILCOCK 9 1545 1592
WILDMAN 31 14 May 1570 1820
WILLIAMSON 1
WILSON 5 1534 27 Aug 1670
WRATHALL 5 1729 1798
WRAYTHALL 1 1703 1703
Wales 2 1821 1854
Wardrope 1 1910 1959
Weatherill 1 1791 1856
Wedgwood 2 1767 15 Jan 1852
Wharton 1
White 2 1838 1838
Wickham 8 1823 1860
Wilkinson 26 1730 1952
Woolley 25 1750 1998
Wright 16 1687 8 Aug 2016