A sainted study Posted 30 November 2015 by Paul HowesHow many One-Name Studies can claim a real saint as part of their number? There are the Saint, St. John and St. Paul One-Name Studies, but they are not what I mean. It’s 30th November, St Andrew’s Day, the patron saint of Scotland. But St Andrew is not whereof we speak either. Cuthbert Mayne in front of the gallows and Launceston Castle On this day in 1577, in Launceston, Cornwall a man named Cuthbert Mayne was hanged to within an inch of his life and then disemboweled, beheaded and quartered, each piece of him then being displayed in a different part of the county as a warning to others. He died for his beliefs, the first seminary priest ever to be martyred for his faith in England. Beatified in 1898, he was created a saint in 1970 by Pope Paul VI. How did all of this come about? The son of a poor shepherd, Cuthbert Mayne grew up in Shirwell, in the North-western corner of Devon. His uncle was a Rector in the established church, then going through enormous upheaval with the transition of monarchs from Mary Tudor to her sister Elizabeth I, and the consequent massive switch in the national practice of religion from catholic to protestant. Elizabeth was excommunicated by the pope in 1567 after which it became very dangerous to be a catholic in England. But South-Western England had many “hold-outs” for the old ways, for many years. The Rector sponsored young Cuthbert to go to Barnstaple Grammar School, after which he became a priest in a local church at the age of seventeen! He then went to Oxford and gained a degree and a “living” as the chaplain of St John’s College. In those troubled times, that had necessitated him to sign an oath of loyalty to the Queen as head of the church. However, his conscience troubled him and within three years he found himself at a seminary in Douai, France, where he was ordained again in a different faith. In March 1576 he returned to Cornwall and lived with a wealthy local catholic family, ostensibly as their steward but in practice their priest. He and his patron were arrested by the local Sheriff and imprisoned for five months and at the local Assizes he was condemned to die, his crime being refusing to recant his faith and recognize Elizabeth as the head of the church. Actually, this is just a summary, taken from a chapter of a book, Soldiers, Saints and Scallywags, authored by Guild member David Gore about some of the people in his One-Name Study into the Mayne name. He writes much better than me and I do recommend that you read the original here: David Gore eBook. By the way, while reading that chapter I happened to notice reference to three other study names too: Body, Carey and Edgecombe, and I suspect there are references to others in the extensive Index Nominorum. David tells us that he has been a member of the Guild for almost thirty years and has received much good advice from other members along the way, most notably from our Front Desk and DNA Advisor. Do you have a Mayne man or woman in your study? If so, you can click here to send David a note or on the other names above to contact the respective study owners. With two English schools named after him, it seems both ironic and fitting that Cuthbert’s name should have lived on longer than his persecutors. Every time I read a story such as this I give thanks that I grew up in more enlightened times and in a more enlightened place. This is the third in an occasional series. If you are a Guild member reading this, does your study have a special day for remembering your name, like 5th November or Trafalgar Day? Would you like us to publicize your study on that day? If so, send us an email by clicking this link.
November 11 – Shall we remember? Posted 11 November 2015 by Departed Member“They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old; “Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn. “At the going down of the sun and in the morning“We will remember them.” (Laurence Binyon, “For the Fallen”) In a corner of Wiltshire, England close by to Stonehenge and the busy A303 trunk road, stands the Ancestor statue who, in aid of the 2015 British Legion Poppy Appeal is sprouting poppies. This annual event in Britain is marked on 11th November– known as Armistice or Remembrance Day, specifically to remember the country’s war dead, though parades are primarily held on the nearest Sunday. In the United States, November 11 is named Veterans Day and is a federal holiday. In cemeteries across the USA, many graves will be marked by small Stars and Stripes, each marking the final resting places of a veteran who served his or her country. Veterans Day commemorates all who served, with Memorial Day in May specifically for those who died. France and Belgium mark the day as a National holiday and it is also recognised in Australia, Canada and Barbados. Other countries have important days to remember their dead, notably ANZAC Day in April in Australia and New Zealand. Armistice Day/Remembrance Day/Veterans Day commemorates the cessation of hostilities on the Western Front of World War I, which took effect at the “eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month” of 1918. Ninety seven years on, the Guild is considering its own commemoration – a Guild Military Service Index (GMSI). We are thinking of a database of anyone who served in a military capacity, whether they come from your One-Name Study or from your own family history research. We make no distinction whether the person was serving in a formal national fighting force of an actual country or, for instance, a patriot fighting for the rebellious colonies in the Revolutionary War (or, the War of Independence, depending upon your perspective). We are thinking about building a substantial database within three years, i.e., the centenary of the end of the Great War. So, what do you think? Is this a project worth undertaking? Would we have your support? Would you contribute? We will publish this post in all of our social media outlets and monitor members’ responses. Finally, let me just remind you of our website devoted to stories about World War 1: http://ww1.guild-dev.org/. The site is open to any member to add a story about someone from their study who was affected in some way by the war.
“Remember, Remember, the fifth of November” Posted 5 November 2015 by Paul HowesGuy Fawkes “Remember, remember! The fifth of November, The Gunpowder treason and plot; I know of no reason Why the Gunpowder treason Should ever be forgot” I well remember that poem from my childhood, reciting it by a bonfire on which an effigy of a man named Guy was burning. It marks a notable event in British history: the foiling of a plot to kill the King and all of Parliament. For those not so familiar with British politics, even today, the State Opening of the British Parliament is a grand affair. The members of the House of Commons are summoned to the House of Lords to hear the monarch give a speech announcing the legislative programme for the forthcoming year. The programme will have been decided upon by the Ministers these days, of course. On 5th November, 1605, the King was due to speak at the State Opening of only the English Parliament, England and Scotland at that point still being formally separate countries. That King, James I of England, had been James VI, king of Scotland, for well over 35 years and yet was still below the age of 40! He had been King of England for less than two years following the death of Elizabeth I and had proclaimed himself King of Great Britain only months before as an early step toward unification. Matters were pressing. England and Spain were at war. James was a Protestant but the Spanish wanted to see a Catholic on the newly united British throne. Although James was known to be more tolerant of different religious views than his English predecessor, Catholics at home felt oppressed and in the English heartland some formed a plot to kill James and the assembled parliamentarians at the State Opening and then install James’s nine-year old daughter on the English throne as a Catholic Queen. To cut a long story short, after hearing rumours, the authorities searched the Parliament building late at night on November 4th and in the basement was discovered one Guy Fawkes, with a fuse and a pocket watch and 36 barrels of gunpowder hidden under faggots and coal. Fawkes, of course, was not alone, but merely the front man of the plot. Many of the plotters left London and were killed in Staffordshire. Others were captured and soon suffered the rather gruesome fate of being hanged, drawn and quartered at the hands of public executioners in London. Shortly afterward, Parliament passed the Observance of 5th November Act 1605 which required church services and sermons annually on that day. The bonfire and firework tradition started virtually immediately too and obviously continues throughout much of Britain over 400 years on, being known as Guy Fawkes Night, Bonfire Night or Fireworks Night. Early American records apparently show too that Guy Fawkes Night was popular in the colonies. And, even to this day, no State Opening of Parliament takes place without a ceremonial search of the House of Lords basement! So, what does all this have to do with the Guild? Well, it turns out that no fewer than three of the thirteen plotters had surnames presently under study: Thomas BATES, Sir Everard DIGBY and Thomas PERCY. We spoke with Nic Pursey, the owner of the PURSEY/Percy One-Name Study in connection with this piece. He has been studying the two names for over five years now and has his own website. Given the grand history of the Percy clan as Earls of Northumberland it appears that many more humble members of the Pursey tribe have over the years changed the spelling of their name, but Nic has yet to find any solid connection in lineage between the two names. Pursey appeared first in Hertfordshire and has another centre in Somerset, far from Northumberland! Nic has also written a recent piece on Thomas Percy, which you can see here: http://www.npp.me.uk/purseyproject/index.php/category/percies/. He tells us too that a Robert Percy, a relative of Thomas, married in Wiveliscombe, Somerset in 1615 and had four children in Taunton, adding to local spelling confusion. If you have Purseys in your study, Nic would be pleased to hear from you. You can send him a mail by clicking here. This is the second in an occasional series. If you are a Guild member reading this, does your study have a special day for remembering your name, like 5th November or Trafalgar Day? Would you like us to publicize your study on that day? If so, send us an email by clicking this link.
The 20th Century is Now History Seminar Posted 26 October 2015 by Alan MoorhouseThe 20th Century is Now History Seminar Colonel Dane Memorial Hall, Church Street, Alwalton, near Peterborough, Cambridgeshire PE7 3UU ** This seminar is now fully booked, please email seminar-booking@guild-dev.org to check for any cancellations ** 09:30am for 10:00am on Saturday 13th February 2016 We’ve once again booked this convenient venue, close to Peterborough and the A1. We will be looking at the records of the 20th century that may be utilised in a one-name study: 20th Century Archives – Their Potential and Problems, school records, divorce and voters’ list are among the topics for which we have found specialist speakers and there will be a session on writing up your one-name study in a way that appeals to all. Programme 09:30 – 10:00 Arrival: Registration and Coffee 10:00 – 10:10 Welcome to the Seminar – Rod Clayburn 10:10 – 11:10 20th Century Archives – Their Problems – Nigel Lutt (Freelance Archivist and Researcher) 11:10 – 11:15 Comfort Break 11:15 – 12:15 Discovering Your One-Name in the 20th Century – Janet Few (Family and Local Historian and Author) 12:15 – 13:15 Lunch Break 13:15 – 14:15 School Records and Electoral Rolls – Alex Cox (Find My Past) 14:15 – 14:20 Comfort Break 14:20 – 15:20 Adoption and Divorce – Ian H Waller FSG (Chairman of AGRA) 15:20 – 15:45 Tea Break 15:45 – 16:45 Writing Up Your One-Name Study – Gill Blanchard (Historian, Researcher, Tutor, Author) 16:45 Close of Seminar Applications to attend are welcome from Guild members, family historians, genealogists, and members of the general public having an interest in the subject matter. Seminar cost including refreshments and buffet lunch is £17.00. We would like to ensure that any disabled delegate can participate fully in this event. If you will be travelling by train please contact us for help finding a lift from Peterborough station. Anyone with any special requirements should telephone the Guild Help Desk on 0800 011 2182 or email seminar-booking@guild-dev.org. An accommodation listing is available. Joining instructions are now available here. Booking To book on this seminar, you can use our our online form¹ in any of three ways: Book online and pay online via PayPal or credit card; For Guild members, book online and pay by direct bank transfer through your bank, quoting the reference number on the form (this is the method which represents the least cost to the Guild); Fill in the booking form online, then print it and send it through the post with your cheque. Alternatively, you can download our booking form flyer, which can be printed, filled-in, and posted, with a cheque to: Alan Moorhouse, [Seminar Bookings], 8 Strachans Close, STROUD, Gloucestershire, GL5 3EB. Bookings close on 31st January 2016. All bookings will be confirmed by email, with full joining instructions, on or before this date. Further information may be obtained by telephoning the Guild HelpDesk on 0800 011 2182, or by email from seminar-booking@guild-dev.org ¹Please note, when booking on a seminar either by post or online, the Guild’s “Distance Selling” terms and conditions. Other events For details of other events organised by the Guild, go to the Events Calendar.