Sir Winston Leonard Spencer Churchill

 I distinctly remember way back in my childhood days in the 1950 - 60s being exposed to the name Winston Churchill, in school studies and news reports of the day. Learning basically that he was a respected political leader and Prime Minister of England. 

I remember his death 25th Jan 1965 and his state funeral, where his casket was ferried on the river Thames on a funeral barge. In later years I learnt that he was also a great military leader defending the United Kingdom against German invasion during the 2nd WW, an Historian, Artis and Writer. Churchill was never a person I researched for ancestral connection, like all other persons; he was not a person I was actually attempting to connect too in my family researching. 

All roads seem to lead to some people at times, and there is always some pleasure in the  surprise when a connection emerges of historical significance. But I now understand that it's not by accident that we discover historically significant people, all we need is a Founding or Key ancestor that leads to such discoveries. I have a number of such ancestors in my family history. 

I arrived at Winston through my 3rd Great grandmother Sarah Acton and wife to William Bond. Sarah's, Acton family line goes all the way back through the Plantagenets to the Dukes of Normandy, giving me a documented blood line (Pedigree) that branches out along the way throughout history, a significant key person is my Sarah Acton. 

My task is to investigate and follow each branch that I come across along my journey and document the facts as they are revealed to me; usually involves reading Peerage journals in the case of nobility. This process, takes place over; in most cases many years and there has never been a quick shortcut to this process. 

Peerage records are usually extremely concise and well written and a trustworthy tool to use when applicable to ancestors with peerage. Sir Winston Churchill was never made a peer and remained a commoner all his life. But people close to him with family relationships to him were made peer's, so there we may find referenced recorded facts. (The Peerage and Baronetage of Great Briton and Ireland, by John Burke.) 

Winston Churchill was the son of Randolph Henry Spencer Churchill Lord and Jeanette (Jenny) Jerome Lady, he was born 30th Nov 1874. Winston married Clementine Hozier 12th Sep 1908, they had the following four children.

1. Diana Spencer Churchill, 1909 - 1963.

2. Randolph Frederick Edward Spenser Churchill, 1911 - 1968.

3. Sarah Millicent Hermione Churchill, 1914 - 1982.

4. Marigold Frances Churchill, 1918 - 1921. 

Sir Winston Leonard Spencer Churchill

I have more than the one relationship to Winston, other than through my 3rd Great grandmother Sarah Acton, and that is a relationship through my 7th Cousin 12 x removed.

 Dionese Bond Lady is the wife to Sir Henry Lord of the Manor Winston, and the Daughter of Sir George Bond Lord Mayor of London and Lady Winnifred Leigh. 

I discovered this second connection 2 - 3 years after finding my Acton family line connection. While researching my ancient Bond family back to Richard Bond De Earth, Cornwall. Dionese Bond is in fact 9th Great grandmother to Sir Winston Churchill and Dionese is a descendant of  Richard Bond De Earth , this is also my Paternal blood line through my 3rd Great grandfather William Bond and husband to Sarah Acton. Richard Bond is14th Great grandfather to Winston Churchill, this was an exciting discovery for me at the time. Proving what tangled weds we may encounter in our family's as we discover our past history. 

• Richard de Earth Bond 1412-1462
  14th great-grandfather
• Sir Thomas Bond 1430-1480
  Son of Richard de Earth Bond
• William Bond Sir Lord 1467-1528
  Son of Sir Thomas Bond
• William (of Buckland Somerset) Bond Sir 1493-1549
  Son of William Bond Sir Lord
• George Lord Mayor London Bond Sir 1534-1592
  Son of William (of Buckland Somerset) Bond Sir
• Dionese Bond Lady 1564-1609
  Daughter of George Lord Mayor London Bond Sir
• Sarah Winston Lady 1598-1678
  Daughter of Dionese Bond Lady
• Winston Churchill Sir 1620-1688
  Son of Sarah Winston Lady
• John 1st Duke of Marlborough Churchill 1650-1722
  Son of Winston Churchill Sir
• Anne Churchill Countess 1683-1716
  Daughter of John 1st Duke of Marlborough Churchill
• Charles 3rd Duke of Marlborough Spencer Sir 1706-1758
  Son of Anne Churchill Countess
• GEORGE 4th Duke Marlborough SPENCER CHURCHILL 1739-1817
  Son of Charles 3rd Duke of Marlborough Spencer Sir
• George Charles 5th Duke Marlborough Spencer Churchill 1766-1840
  Son of GEORGE 4th Duke Marlborough SPENCER CHURCHILL
• George Marlborough Spencer Churchill 1793-1857
  Son of George Charles 5th Duke Marlborough Spencer Churchill
• John Winston 7th Duke of Marlborough Spencer Churchill 1822-1883
  Son of George Marlborough Spencer Churchill
• Randolph Henry Spencer Churchill Lord 1849-1895
  Son of John Winston 7th Duke of Marlborough Spencer Churchill
• Winston Leonard Spencer Churchill Sir
•  Son of Randolph Henry Spencer Churchill Lord

Recommended reading:

The Visitations of The County of Cornwall p.41, by John Lambrick Vivian. 

The Visitations of The County of Cornwall in The year 1620 p.15, by Henry St George.

The Story of the Bonds of Earth, by Allen Kerr Bond.

Artillery of Word, The Writings of Sir Winston Churchill, by Frederick Woods.

Sir Winston Churchill, His Life and His Paintings, by David Coombs & Minnie Churchill.

Sir Winston Churchill, by Allan Farrell.

The True Story of Sir Winston Churchill, by Arthur Harald Booth.

The Wit and Wisdom of Winston Churchill, by James C Humes.

The Early Churchills, by A L Rowse.

The Peerage and Baronetage of Great Briton and Ireland, by John Burke. 

Copyright © Noel Bond. Researched and written by Noel Bond, No written part of this Blog may be reproduced in any form, by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author.

Sir John Emerich Edward Dalberg-Acton

 When I discovered John Emerich Dalberg-Acton, 1st Baron Acton (aka Lord Acton), I was taken by his life achievements in literature, immediately; and the fact that he was my 6th cousin in my paternal Acton-Bond family line only added to my appreciation of him. I learnt through him that we can find family with so much recorded factual evidence and accounts of their lives that we can become overwhelmed by information. In fact there is so much information available on the subject of Lord Acton's life and his literary works that it would be amiss for me to attempt to add to what is available for the family researcher. Having said this I am definitely able to assist any close or distant family member, with a researching interest to connect to him and enjoy a new exciting family member in their tree. I can offer individuals who are not actively researching, but still interested in my family discoveries a detailed account of their connection to Lord Acton or any other family ancestor. Sharing with others is paramount to all my family researching, and my most enjoyable reward is their enlightened surprise.   

There would be no exaggeration in me stating that I put Lord Acton up there with Sir Winston Churchill on my level of admiration scale of people (Family) in history. Maybe because I connected with a statement he wrote in a letter to an Anglican Bishop of the Catholic Church "Power tends to corrupt and absolute power corrupts absolutely". I feel I understand him and feel close to his way of thinking, that I admire him. It is apparent that he left too little completed works, to be placed high; among the great historians. However he earned respect and influenced other's with the works that he published. 

Lord Acton

Acton was an English Roman Catholic an Historian, Member of Parliament for Bridgnorth and Writer, born 10th Jan 1834 in Naples and died 19th Jun 1902 Tegernsee, Germany. The only son of Ferdinand Dalberg-Acton Sir and Marie Louise Pelline Von Dalberg. 

He married Countess Marie Anna Lobomilla Euphrosina von Arco auf Valmy, 1st Aug 1865 and they had six children.

1. Hon. Mary Elizabeth Anne Dalberg-Acton, 1866 - 1951.

2. Hon. Annie Mary Katherine Dalberg-Acton-Acton, 1868 - 1917.

3. Richard Lyon Dalberg-Acton, 2nd Baron Acton, 1870 - 1924.

4. Hon. John Dalberg-Acton, 1872 - 1873.

5. Hon. Elizabeth Mary Dalberg-Acton, 1874 - 1881.

6. Hon. Jeanne Marie Dalberg-Acton, 1876 - 1919.

Sir John Dalberg-Acton Quotations:

Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely.

Great men are almost always bad men, even when they exercise influence and not authority.

There is no worse heresy than that the office sanctifies the holder of it.

History is the arbiter of controversy, the monarch of all she surveys.

Universal History is not a burden on the memory but an illumination the soul.

The strong man with the dagger is followed by the weak man with the sponge.

The science of politics is the one science that is deposited by the streams of history, like the grains of gold in the sand of a river; and the knowledge of the past, the record of truths revealed by experience, is eminently practical, as an instrument of action and a power that goes to making the future.

Save for the wild force of Nature, nothing moves in this world that is not Greek in its origin.

Liberty is not the power of doing what we like, but the right of being able to do what we ought.

The wisdom of divine rule appears not in the perfection but in the improvement of the world. 

History is the true demonstration of Religion.

The wisdom of divine rule appears not in the perfection but in the improvement of the world, history is the true demonstration of religion. 

The issue which has swept down the centuries and which will have to be fought sooner or later is the people versus the banks.

Recommended reading:

The History of Freedom, by John Emerich Edward Dalberg-Acton.

Historical Essays and Studies, by John Emerich Edward Dalberg-Acton.

Lectures on Modern History, by John Emerich Edward Dalberg-Acton.

Essays in The Study and Writing of History, by John Emerich Edward Dalberg-Acton.

Copyright © Noel Bond. Researched and written by Noel Bond, No written part of this Blog may be reproduced in any form, by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author.

Dukes De NORMANDY

When we first commence our family history research we usually only focus on our immediate family members as far as we know to be fact. This was definitely my plan of operation for my researching back when I was using a floppy disc and no internet connection. 

I was basically afraid of going too far beyond what I knew of the family in fear of getting it wrong. There was no real thought, by me that I would one day have the ability to research far beyond my understanding of my family history at the time. 

I only had family oral history and the news paper article of my Great Grandfather William Henry Wise to steer me in any meaningful direction, before the hard drive replaced the floppy disc.

Now days we have all manner of researching tools / platforms, at our finger tips on our computers and iPhones. An outstanding factor as to the success we have in unraveling our family's history is our depth of dedication to the task of researching. 

Over the years I have had opportunity's to help other people out with their family researching, set them up on the road ahead to their new discoveries. Very few if any of them have taken their family beyond where I have showed the way too, basically they don't have the time, skill or dedication to the task. 

I have come to the realisation that the majority of us are happy to discover a snippet of family history and going deeper than 3 - 4 generations is not their objective. 

To me ancestry is a culmination of snippets and I have hundreds of new found cousins who have an interest in their portion of family, and their connection to my portion (snippet) of family. 

Given all the tools and ancestral platforms available today we can find our way back deeper into our ancestry than ever before. Having said, it is still imperative that we follow the paper or digital record trail that we all have access to through our modern devices.

On the subject of researching Rollo and or the Dukes De Normandy, there are many means towards an end on line, Web sites, Blog pages and Book sale sites. I'v used all in my journey's of discovery over the years for most all of my ancestors, if your thinking purchasing a book or two would be a great way to go; you would be correct.

Keep in mind that most on line book sale sites may not actually have the books we are purchasing in stock, and waiting times can spill into many months. I recommend saving book titles to your Kindle when possible, saving you long delivery delays and extra postage costs (Dukes of Normandy from the time Rollo to the Expulsion of King John, by Philip Augustus of Franc 1839 ).

My first introduction to the Dukes De Normandy was through Rollo 1st Duke De Normandy, a Viking warrior who had succoured a permanent foot hold on Frankish soil in the valley of the lower Seine river. He was granted lands by King Charles III of West Francia in the year 911 after the Siege of Charters.

The alliance between Rollo and the King saw the region that Rollo occupied given over to him in return for peace and his defending the Seine Estuary against further Viking raiders. This is the time of the birth of the place we know now as Normandy. 

De Normandy Line:

1. Ivar Earl of Uplands, 770 -, 34th Great grandfather. Father of  Eyestein "the Noisy".

2. Eyestein "the Noisy", Jarl of Uplands, 788 - 830, 33rd Great grandfather. father of Ragnvald I "the Wise".

3. Ragnvald I "the Wise" Eyesteinsson, 830 - 890, 32nd Great grandfather. Father of  Rollo.

4. Rollo Ragnvaldsson 1st Duke De Normandy, 860 - 931, 31st Great grandfather. Father of William I "Longsword".

5. William I "Longsword" 2nd Duke De Normandy, 893 - 942, 30th Great grandfather. Father of  Richard I "the Fearless".

6. Richard I "the Fearless" 3rd Duke De Normandy, 933 - 20th Nov 996, 29th Great grandfather. Father of Richard II "the Good".

7. Richard II "the Good" 4th Duke De Normandy, 978 - 23rd Aug 1026, 28th Great grandfather. Father of "Robert II  "the Devil" "the Magnificent".

8. Robert II "the Devil" "the Magnificent" Duke De Normandy, 22nd Jun 1000, 28th Great grandfather. Father of Adleliza De Normandy, Father of Willian I "the Conqueror".

9. Adleliza De Normandy, 1030 - 1090, 27th Great grandaunt.

Rollo

Recommended reading:

History of the Dukes of Normandy and the Kings of England, by Paul Webster and Janet Shirley.

Dukes of Normandy from the Time of Rollo to the Explosion of King John, by Philip Augustus of France 1839.

The Story of William I, by Eva Tappan.
William the Conqueror, by David Bates.

Copyright © Noel Bond. Researched and written by Noel Bond, No written part of this Blog may be reproduced in any form, by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author.

Henry Hotspur Percy Sir

Arms of Hotspur

Henry Percy, Lord Percy also known as Hotspur was the son of Henry 1st Earl Northumberland and Margaret De Neville, he was born 20th May1364 at Alnwick Castle Northumberland England. He married Elizabeth De Mortimer daughter to Edmund De Mortimer 3rd Earl March and Philippa Plantagenet Countess of Ulster.   

Henry and Elizabeth had two children: 

Henry Percy, 3rd February 1393 - 22nd May 1455.

Elizabeth Percy, c.1395 - 26th October 1496.  

The Percy family were a powerful family in Northern England during much of the Middle Ages, the family had gained the title Baron Percy before the 1066 conquest. The family name Percy is derived from the Norman village Percy En Auge , the ancestral home of the Percy family before 1066.    

I discovered Henry Hotspurs back in 2008 - 09, and my ancestral connection is; he is my 18th Great grandfather. 

Henry is an ancestor who gives up an extraordinary amount of historical information of himself, and his family history. Seconded only by the House of Plantagenet the House of Percy has given me years of researching pleasure. 

In the year 1377 Henry Hotspur was knighted by King Edward III alongside the future King Richard II and Future King Henry IV. He was in Ireland in the year 1388 with Edmund De Mortimer 3rd Earl of March, 1338 saw him travelling to Prussia and was appointed Warden of the East March 1384 - 1385. 

He accompanied King Richard II to the Scottish boarders in 1385 and because of his speed and willingness to attack the Scots gave him the name Hattspore (Hotspur). In 1386 he travelled to France and reinforced the garrison at Calais were he led raids into Picardy.

He was in command of Naval forces August to September 1387 were he attempted to relieve the siege at Breast. He was made Knight of the Garter 1388 at the age of 24 in appreciation of his military abilities.

Percy commanded the English military forces against James Douglas at the Battle of Otterburn 10th August 1388, were he was captured and ransomed for 7000 marks. Henry Hotspurs reputation continues to grow in years to follow and he is sent as a Diplomat to Cyprus, June 1393. Appointed Lieutenant of the Duchy of Aquitaine 1394 - 98 on behalf of John of Gaunt. Returning to England January 1395 he accompanied Richard II in his expedition to Ireland, returned to Aquitaine in the autumn and was in Calais in the Summer of 1396. 

Percy earned substantial Royal favour for his military and diplomatic service, the Percy family gave its support to the feature King Henry IV in his rebellion against King Richard II. When Henry returned from Exile in June 1399 Percy and his father joined Henry and his forces at Doncaster and marched south to depose King Richard II. The Percys were rewarded with lands and titles from Henry IV.  

Under the new King Henry IV Percy had both civil and military responsibilities to the east of march and towards Wales and also to the north and Scotland. He was appointed High Sheriff of Flintshire, 1399.

In 1402 Percy was appointed Royal Lieutenant in Wales by Henry IV, on the 14th September Percy, his father and the 3rd Earl of March defeated a Scottish force at The Battle of Homildon Hill. 

The Percy family became disgruntled with Henry IV decisions over the next months and the family moved closer to rebellion. Among other grievances the Percys could not except the Kings failure to pay them for their defending the Scottish boarder and the Kings failure to ransom Henrys brother-in-law, Edmund Mortimer after his capture by the Welsh, June 1402.

Pedigree of the Percy Family

In the summer of the year 1402 the Percy family had had all they could take from the King and they took  up arms against Henry IV in rebellion to his decisions in past months. Apparently Henry Percy had issued proclamation accusing the King of running a tyrannical government.

Percy was joined by his uncle Thomas Percy Earl of Worcester and his father Henry1st Earl Northumberland and together they marched to Shrewsbury were they intended to engage the army there under the command of the Prince of Wales, feature King Henry V. 

Death of Henry Hotspurs Percy

Henry and his uncle arrived at Shrewsbury with their armies 21st July 1403, without the support of his fathers army as his father was moving south toward Shrewsbury at a slower pace. 

On their arrival they encountered the King with a large army, Henry and Thomas engaged the Kings army, and the ensuing bloody and fierce Battle of Shrewsbury was underway. 

The battle was the first were English Archers engaged against the other on English soil, reaffirming the effectiveness of the English Longbow, in the most gruesome of ways, cutting men down in both armies. The battle ended Henrys challenge to King Henry IV, he paid the price of his dis - content with the King through his own death; on that battle field at the Battle of Shrewsbury 21st July 1403, at the age of 39.

Henrys uncle was executed 2 days after his capture at the battle, he was beheaded at Shrewsbury and Buried at St Peter's Shrewsbury; his head was on display on London Bridge.  It is said that on being presented to Henry Hotspurs lifeless body after the battle, that King Henry IV wept for the loss of a great Warrior. 

His body was taken to Whitchurch Shropshire by Thomas Neville for burial, that should have been the end of Percy's story but there is one last twist.

It soon became a popular public opinion that Hotspurs was not in fact dead, and he was in fact alive and still raging battle some were. 

The King moved to extinguish this belief by having his body exhumed and put on display in the Shrewsbury market place. 

The King then sent his head to York for display, had his body quartered and sent to London, New Castle on Tyne, Bristol and Chester. After a pried of time his body parts where retuned to his wife who respectfully laid them to rest in York Minster, November 1403.

Henrys land holdings were forfeited to the crown after he was declared a traitor, January 1404.

Researching Henry Hotspur Percy has given me not just an insight into his life, but an over all greater understanding of history in general surrounding his and other ancestors lives. Through my research I can reveal that Henry is also 16th Great grandfather to Sir Winston Churchill and Lady Diana. If we keep looking, keep researching we may be pleasantly surprised with the discovery of unknown facts, concealed in our family history.

Henry Hotspur

Suggested reading:

The Bloody Field by Shrewsbury, by Edith Pargeter.

Hotspur, by AW Boardman.

Copyright © Noel Bond. Researched and written by Noel Bond, No written part of this Blog may be reproduced in any form, by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author.

Executions in the Family

 Down through the ages there have been those who have suffered the most horrendous of deaths at the hands of the executioner of the day, treason seems to be a conviction handed out rather regularly. Hugh the younger De Spencer was my 20th Great granduncle and he suffered a particularly gruesome ending 24th November 1326 Hereford England. Hugh was judged and found guilty of High Treason and sentenced to death. While awaiting his execution in prison he attempted to starve himself to death, trying the easier way to die was his motivation. He was sentenced to death by Hanging and Drawing and Quartering, the most gruesome form of execution along side burning at the stake. The demise of Hugh the younger was well documented and we can explore his life up to his death, personally I believe his punishment was some what excessive. 

Execution of Hugh De Spencer

A less gruesome form of execution may have been Beheading, if we consider the possible speed of execution in comparison to the later. But there must be some consideration to personal choice now days so I leave it up to the reader to decide the less gruesome. Truth is that executions could often be a prolonged process by intent or incompetent executioners. 

In my deep family history there are those who made their way through life without drawing adversity to themselves, seems that stepping on toes on your life journey was a shaw way to bring the executioner's  axe swinging down on your head. There are 25 people, in my family who suffered death at the hands of the executioner, Hugh's death amongst them.

Another person I would like to bring forward is my 3rd Cousin 14x removed Anne Boleyn and wife to the tyrant King Henry VIII also a 6th Cousin 13x removed to myself.

We have all learnt of the fait of the wives of Henry VIII but when we discover that you have an ancestral connection to people in history we tend to take a much more in-depth look at their lives, and possibly take on a more personal interest in history; this has been true in my case. I have read countless articles and publications about Anne Boleyn, leading up to and including her execution at the Tower of London.

I can say that I do experience a personal attachment to her story and consequently absorb more attention to how she may have been feeling in her last hours. 

Public outrage to the executions was not uncommon, just as we see today some would be in support and others would not be in support of an execution. In the case of Edmond of Woodstock Plantagenet, public anger at his execution delayed his death by 5 hours because no Axman would go against public opinion. A convicted murderer was call upon to do the deed in exchange for his own pardon. 

Revenge could be said to be the motivation for some executions, 17th November 1326 Edmund 9th Earl of Arundel Fitzalan was executed by Queen Isabella, after being captured by John Charlton of Powys an old foe at Shrewsbury. Historical account tells us he was executed with a blunt sword and that it took 22 blows of the sword to remove his head.    

Anne Boleyn 

Tower of London

 

There are stories be hind each execution, it is a fascinating research journey; to be taken. If we take the time to look a little deeper than we usually do we will be rewarded with a richer understanding of our family history. Give thought to how lucky we are that our executed ancestors had issue to continue their family line, so we are here to explore our history.

Below listed 25 ancestors who have met with gruesome endings, 23 were executed by beheading.

1. Hugh the Younger De Spencer, 20th Great granduncle.

2. Edmund of Woodstock Plantagenet, 20th Great granduncle. 

3. Edmund 9th Earl of Arundel Fitzalan, 20th Great grandfather.

4. Thomas 2nd Earl of Lancaster Plantagenet, 20th Great granduncle.

5. Henry 1st Earl of Northumberland Percy, 19th Great grandfather. 

6. Thomas 1st Earl of Worcester De Percy, 18th Great granduncle.

7. Anne Boleyn Queen, 3rd Cousin 14x removed.

8. Owen Meredith Tudor, Husband of 4th Cousin 20x removed.

10. Margaret 8th Countess Salisbury Plantagenet, 5th Cousin 14x removed.

11. Richard 11th Earl of Arundel Fitzalan, 18th Great grandfather.

12. Robert Devereux, 6th Cousin 11x removed.

13. Christopher Blount, Husband of 5th Cousin 12x removed.

14. Robert De Holland, Husband of 1st Cousin 22x removed.

15. John 1st Duke of Northumberland Dudley, 2nd Cousin 15x removed.

16. Edward Neville, 2nd Cousin 17x removed.

17. Richard 5th Earl of Salisbury Neville, 17th Great granduncle.

18. Mary I Stuart Queen, 8th Cousin 11x removed.

19. Richard Grey, 4th Cousin 18x removed.

20. Robert 8th Baron of Willoughby De Eresby Welles, 3rd Cousin 16x removed.

21. Richard 7th Baron of De Welles, 2nd Cousin 17x removed.

22. Edward 17th Earl of Warwick Plantagenet, 5th Cousin 14x removed.

23. Jane Grey Lady, 8th Cousin 11x removed.

24. John Guildford Dudley Lord, Husband of 8th Cousin 11x removed. 

25. Charles I King, 10th Cousin 9x removed. 

Execution of Lady Jane Grey

Recommended reading:

Tower, by Nigel Jones.

Anne Boleyn, by Eric Ives.

Lady Jane Grey, by Eric Ives.

 

Copyright © Noel Bond. Researched and written by Noel Bond, No written part of this Blog may be reproduced in any form, by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author.

Burials and Tomb's in Westminster Abbey

 Westminster Abbey is a fascinating example of historical fact as are most all cathedrals and church's in London and through out the the United Kingdom, I found them to be so during my visits to England. Churches and their Parish records are like sponges to the history of our past generations and we should never under estimate the value of the information they hold about our ancestors. This has been a true fact for my researching of my Bond family history, a tool I have used since the begging of my family researching. In London and though out England I have found Church/Parish records that record the births, marriages and deaths of my family that go back many generations not simply two or three generations but many more. We can look forward to the possibility of gaining information for multiple persons in one record, and we may also be able to find that multiple generations have recorded history at a given church. Dig deep, research deep and leave no favourable record behind, as you discover them.

Westminster Abbey is a place of outstanding historical value, a place most would have on their bucket list of places to see in their travels. For you family historians who have the Abbey on your list see this helpful link too visiting, when your next in London, Verger guided tours.

Westminster Abbey/Public Domain 

As we know it today Westminster Abbey go's back to 1245 when the construction was begone with the orders of King Henry 3rd, there are more than 3,300 burials on site including 16 Monarchs and 8 Prime Ministers plus many more persons of notoriety. I have visited Westminster when in London and have been lifted up by the grandeur  and atmosphere, on taking those fist step in past the entrance. I was only able to wander in areas limited to self guiding but still I was in ore of the names that were before me. I was unaware at the time, to the fact that I was a descendent of some of the people entombed here. 

Today if I was to visit I would be visiting with the knowledge that in fact I have 35 ancestors entombed at Westminster Abbey, in my Bond family line. Amazing some would say, unbelievable others would exclaim, but to me it's just the results of heavy research days for years on end. All 35 ancestors were researched individually for their individual place in the family, over a period of 17-18 years; before connection to Westminster Abbey.

When researching our family histories be ready to be surprised at any point along the way and willing to dig deeper into the new found facts.

The 35 individual ancestors that I discovered and entombed at Westminster Abbey are listed below.

1. Henry III Plantagenet King, 22nd Great grandfather, Eleanor De Provence, 22nd Great grandmother buried at Amesbury Priory.

2. Thomas Owen, 11th Great grandfather.

3 - 4. Edward I Longshanks Plantagenet King, 21st Great grandfather. Eleanor De Castile Queen, 21st Great grandfather.

5 - 6. Edward III of Windsor Plantagenet King, 21st Great grandfather. Philippa De Hainault Queen, 21st Great grandmother.

7 - 8. Richard II Plantagenet King, 1st Cousin 21x removed, Anne Bohemia Queen, Wife of 1st Cousin 21x removed.

9. Emma De Normandy Queen, 29th Great grandmother.

10 - 11 Edward the Confessor De England King, 28th Great grand uncle, Edith De Wessex, Wife of 28th Great grand uncle. 

12. Henry V De Lancaster King, 2nd Cousin 20x removed.

13. Edward V of England child King, 5th Cousin 14x removed.

14. Henry VII of England King, 6th Cousin 14x removed.

15. Edward VI of England King, 7th Cousin 12x removed.

16. Anne of Cleaves, Wife of 6th Cousin 13x removed.

17. Mary I of England Queen, 7th Cousin 12x removed.

18. Elizabeth I of England Queen, 4th Cousin 14x removed.

19. Cnut (Canute) the Great King, 30th Great grandfather.

20. Anne Neville Queen, 2nd Cousin 17x removed.

21 - 22. Elizabeth Seymour / Percy, 8th Cousin 8x removed, Huge 1st Duke of Northumberland Smithson / Percy, Husband of 8th Cousin 8x removed.

23. Elizabeth Anne Frances Percy, 9th Cousin 6x removed.

24. Marie De La Garde Peliot / Bond, Wife of 9th Cousin 10x removed.

25 - 26. George Augustus II Hanover King, 13th Cousin 6x removed,

 Wilhelmine Charlotte Karoline Von Brandenburg Ansbach, Wife of 13th Cousin 6x removed.

27. Mary I Stewart Queen, 8th Cousin 11x removed.

28. James VI Stewart King, 9th Cousin 10x removed.

29. Elizabeth Stewart, 10th Cousin 9x removed.

30. Charles II Stewart King, 11th Cousin 8x removed.

31. Anne Stewart Queen, 12th Cousin 7x removed.

32. George of Denmark Prince, Husband of 12th Cousin 7x removed. 

33 -34. William II - III Orange of England King, 12th Cousin 7x removed, Mary II Stuart Queen, 12th Cousin 7x removed.

35. George Seymour, 8th Cousin 7x removed.  

  Source: Burials at Westmister Abbey.

Recommended reading:

The Obedientriaries of Westminster Abbey and their Financial Records, by Barbara Harvey.

Treasures of Westminster Abbey, by Tony Trowels. 

Westminster Abbey, by David Cannadine.

Copyright © Noel Bond. Researched and written by Noel Bond, No written part of this Blog may be reproduced in any form, by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author.

1066 Battle of Hastings

 I remember before my addiction to family history researching, my understanding and interest in history was somewhat vague beyond one hundred years or so; English history was definitely a foggy mix of Roman occupation, War of the Roses, Kings and Queens, and the Battle of Briton. Mostly learnt through historically obscure movies or documentaries over the years, today I now only give historically accurate programs my attention. England has such a rich, well documented history that goes back many hundreds of years and because of my ancestry researching I have come to a richer and more objective understanding of past events. Through my ancestral journey I have discovered ancestors who forged history as we now know it.

During the last few day's prior to ending my 2000 visit to the UK I found my self exploring towns, villages reasonably close to Gatwick. One day I found my way to Hastings and exploring in the area I discovered the town known as Battle. Located north east of Hastings in East Sussex, approaching the town in my rental I was thinking how ominous the name Battle seemed. With my limited knowledge I'm thinking maybe the town of Battle had something in common with the Conquest and the battle of 1066. 

After driving around town for a short while I found my self at Battle Abby at first I was under the impression that I was parking in the car park of a tourist gift shop, and really didn't expect much more. My visit to Battle Abby was one of my most memorable tourist attraction visits in my 2000 UK activities.

I soon became aware that I was at the 1066 battle field were English history change with outcome of the battle between King Harald of England and William  of Normandy. I saw that for a small fee I would be able to take a self guided stroll out onto the actual battle field, an opportunity that I took up without hesitation.

 For a full Hour I wondered the battle ground taking in the imaginary images of men on foot, men on horse back glinting weaponry and armour the sounds of battle and death all over this place 14h Oct 1066. Standing at the place were King Harold of England laid dying is confronting, but then I realised when standing at almost any place on the field many men may have died at that very spot more than nine hundred years ago.

 

The 1066 Hastings Battle Field

Some years have past since the day I visited the 1066 battle field and I am now even more thankful that I had the opportunity to spend time on the field. Today thanks to the following  years spent research studying and documenting my family history, I have been successful in identifying some ancestral relationships to men at the Battle of Hastings in 1066 and my Bond family line. Each person was individually researched, not for their connection to the battle but their connection to my Bond family line; and serendipitously connected to the battle. Knowing now that I acutely have ancestors who survived the carnage at the Battle of Hastings gives me a whole new perspective of the history surrounding the battle.

King Harold of England / Husband of 29th Great grandmother.

Gyrth Godwinson / Brother in-law to 29th Great grandmother.

Leofwine Godwinson / Brother in-law of 29th Great grandmother,

William of Normandy / 27th Great grandfather.

Robert Deaumont / 25th Great grand uncle.

Walter Giffard / 27th Great grandfather.

William De Warren / 26th Great grandfather.

Hugh De Montford / 28th Great grandfather.

1066 Battle of Hastings

Recommended reading:

The Battle of Hastings, by Jim Bradbury.

1066, by Kelly Devries. 

The Norman Conquest, by Mac Morris.

Copyright © Noel Bond. Researched and written by Noel Bond, No written part of this Blog may be reproduced in any form, by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author.

New Discoveries

 New discoveries just keep on coming, just when you think you have learnt all there is to know about the people in your family one or two individuals will suddenly give up new information, that will delight you. January 2022 and the new family research year started off with two such discoveries, from people that I have been researching one from the very beginning; my grandmother Kate and the other a cousin found through DNA matching some years back 4th cousin 1x recovered Reginald Albert Gorman. 

In the case of my grandmother I received an automated Email from a family tree building and research site that I subscribe to, informing me that a new Christening record had been found for my grandmother, and inviting me to come and see the record. After a day or so, I clicked on the record link and behold. I discover indeed more detailed information than in other past records.

Name Kate Elizabeth Wise

Sex Female  

Christening date 28 Mar 1875

Christening place Wareham, Dorset, England UK 

Christening place (original) St Mary's Wareham, Dorset England 

Fathers name William 

Mothers name Julia

The new fact I see for the first time in this record is St Mary's Wareham Dorset England, I had never known that Kate was Christened at St May's Wareham so I went Googling and found that St Mary's is still active today.

StMary's Wareham Dorset England/Public Domain.

Exploring St Mary's history on line I discovered an interesting fact about the Christening font, it is apparently the only 12th century Hexagonal lead font in existence. 

Christening font St' Mary's Wareham Dorset

   Grandmother Kate is a twin sister to my aunt Louisa so this discovery of the font is an interesting new fact to add to the family story.

Reginald Albert Gorman, Australian actor who has been in the tree since 2019 was only discovered for being the so well known actor of Australian TV that we know him for, while I was exploring my DNA match to his daughter Kate Gorman, who is also an accomplished Australian TV actress. Appearing in Neighbours and many other productions. Cousin Kate Gorman and her father Reg are related through William Bond and Sarah Bond/Acton and their daughter Sarah Jane Bond.

Reg Gorman

A third new discovery was while watching the program Who do You Think you Are, Australian journalist and television  presenter Jennifer Victoria Byrne was being presented with her family history and in the course of the program it became clear that her ancestral line had similarities to my own family. I have since learnt that we are 19th cousins.

 

Jennifer Byrne 

My lesson for this new year is I don't know what I don't know, when I think I know.  

Copyright © Noel Bond. Researched and written by Noel Bond, No written part of this Blog may be reproduced in any form, by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author.

Blackboy Hill

Blackboy Hill

 

Hell, on Earth.

A flicker of consciousness, a flicker of gloomy light, a wave of knowing, a realization of his surroundings and his commitment and duty.

Robert Vivian Bond was aged 19, and for the past two weeks he had been waking at five in the morning each day; at Blackboy Hill military training camp.

Blackboy Hill a military training camp in Western Australia was a tented military camp that gave basic training to the young men, who had volunteered for duty in the 1^st world war.

Notoriously known; because the men, mostly teenagers; would be going to the front line in France. After 2½ months training they will be in, hell on earth.

 “Ho God here we go again,” Viv muttered to himself, as his nostrils detected the smells of breakfast wafting through the camp. He knew it as a ploy, they feed us well and we go through a rigorous training schedule all day; it’s a ploy that was working because hundreds of young men like him would be rather keen on a good breakfast right now. 

The guys working in the mess, seem to have signed up to a different War to what the regular men had signed up for. Whatever, Viv and his mates had no complaints given their devotion to keeping their stomachs full and content, before and after a full day of training.   

Ratatattat, boom, all day the sounds of machine gun and single arm fire reverberated around the camp, the stench of cordite, gunpowder and smoke filled the air.

“You’re doing it wrong you bloody fool,” “keep shooting for god’s sake, boy;” The drill Sergeant bellowed.

He knew he was being singled out, so Viv’s reply was to fire his machine gun in a burst that cut his target to smithereens, sending splinters of wood flying in all directions.

“Good man, that’s what we like to see,” the sergeant said, slapping him firmly on the shoulder before moving on to his next victim.

Within a minute a new target would pop up to be dealt with, again and again Viv dispatched his targets like a man possessed.   

After completing his training Vivian was deployed to the battle front in France, newly trained troops usually took a train from Midland station bound for Fremantle port where ship boarding was conducted.

Hundreds of newly trained men, fully kitted out would patiently make their way to the gangways and on to the ship that would take them to the action.

He served in France, manning his machine gun; in the mud, the blood and filthy stench of death for seven months before the day, that the cloud of death came silently, creeping across the battle field.

“Gas, gas,” a fellow forward gunner bellowed, folowed by other men shouting out the same warning before franticly fitting their gas masks. 

The cloud of death had come creeping across Viv’s position before, he knew what he needed to do to be safe; get that bloody mask on and endure the following three or four hours of the suffocating effects of the mask. That or be killed by the truly Suffocating effects of the gas, it’s your choice.

There must have been an accumulation of the effects of the gas attacks on Viv because he was removed from the front, to a medical outpost for the treatment of gas exposure on the battle field, within six months of commencing active duty in the trenches.       

As a young child I remember, sitting all snug and warm, freshly bathed in my jim jams slippers and dressing gown; on the huge lounge that seemed to swallow me up. Visiting uncle Viv and aunty Eva was a delightful outing for a young lad, as I knew I would be fully captivated by my uncle’s presence.  

We held a warm connection between us, Viv and I, remaining quiet and seemingly uninterested I managed to take in most of the Adult conversation, or I thought so at the time. I remember his warm smile and wink of acknowledgment whenever our gaze met, I knew him as a kind gentle man; I remember him being like a Farther Christmas, without the red suit and white beard, huge smile and warm eyes.

He was a man; who had taken a journey to hell and returned home, those eyes had seen hell on earth.

Copyright © Noel Bond. Researched and written by Noel Bond, No written part of this Blog may be reproduced in any form, by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author.

House of Plantagenet

House of Plantagenet:

Plantagenet

I discovered a distant connection to the Plantagenet's firstly through my Maternal family line, but then after another 2yrs of further researching I discovered a much closer Paternal Bond family line connection.

The House of Plantagenet was a royal house which originated from the lands of Anjou in France. The name Plantagenet is used by modern historians to identify four distinct royal houses – the Angevins who were also Counts of Anjou, the main body of the Plantagenets following the loss of Anjou, and the houses of Lancaster and York, the Plantagenets' two cadet branches. The family held the English throne from 1154, with the accession of Henry II, until 1485, when Richard III died.

Under the Plantagenets, England was transformed, although this was only partly intentional. The Plantagenet kings were often forced to negotiate compromises such as Magna Carta. These constrained royal power in return for financial and military support. The king was no longer just the most powerful man in the nation, holding the prerogative of judgement, feudal tribute and warfare. He now had defined duties to the realm, underpinned by a sophisticated justice system. A distinct national identity was shaped by conflict with the French, Scots, Welsh and Irish, and the establishment of English as the primary language.

In the 15th century, the Plantagenets were defeated in the Hundred Years' War and beset with social, political and economic problems. Popular revolts were commonplace, triggered by the denial of numerous freedoms. English nobles raised private armies, engaged in private feuds and openly defied Henry VI.

The rivalry between the House of Plantagenet's two branches of York and Lancaster brought about the Wars of the Roses, a decades-long fight for the English succession, culminating in the Battle of Bosworth Field in 1485, when the reign of the Plantagenets and the English Middle Ages both met their end with the death of King Richard III. Henry VII, a Lancastrian, became king of England; two years later, he married Elizabeth of York, thus ending the Wars of the Roses, and giving rise to the Tudor dynasty. The Tudors worked to centralise English royal power, which allowed them to avoid a number of the problems that had plagued the last Plantagenet rulers. The resulting stability allowed for the English Renaissance, and the advent of early modern Britain.

Ingelger De Anjou, 32nd Great Grandfather.

Fulk I (The Red) De Anjou, 31st Great Grandfather.

Fulk (The Good) De Anjou, 30th Great Grandfather.

Geoffrey I Ferreol Gastinios De Anjou, 29th Great Grandfather.

Geoffrey II of Gastinios Audri, Count, 28th Great Grandfather.

Fulk IV (The Rude) De Anjou, Count, 27th Great Grandfather.

Fulk V (The Younger) De Anjou, 26th Great Grandfather.

Geoffrey V (The Handsome) Plantagenet, 25th Great Grandfather.

Henry II (Curtmantle) 1st Plantagenet King, 24th Great Grandfather.

John (Lackland) Plantagenet, 23rd Great Grandfather.

Henry III Plantagenet, 22nd Grea Grandfather.

Edward I Longshanks Plantagenet, 21st Great Grandfather.

Joan Plantagenet, 22nd Great Grandmother.

War of the Roses 1455-58

The House of Plantagenet

Plantagenet

Recommended reading:

The Plantagenets, The Kings Who Made England. by Dan Jones.

Birth of The Plantagenets (series). by Blanche d' Alpuget.

War of The Roses (series). by Conn Iggulden.

Copyright © Noel Bond. Researched and written by Noel Bond, No written part of this Blog may be reproduced in any form, by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author.