Great Great Great Grandfather, Paul Brown

Great Great Great Grandfather, Paul Brown tells us that he was born in Scotland. However, by 1816 he was living in the vicinty of Newcastle upon Tyne in Northumberland, England. I wondered what would prompt him to move. But then I discovered that as early as 1804, a man named Richard Trevithick was hired by Christopher Blackett, owner of Wylam Colliery near Newcastle, to produce a locomotive that would replace the use of horse-drawn coal wagons. Other Newcastle inventors were also experimenting with steam engines. So, just about the time Paul Brown was living in Newcastle, a new industry was birthing. Is it possible that my long-ago ancestor was a train enthusiast and moved to Newcastle to be part of this new and exciting industry? Unfortuantely, Paul seems to have missed much of the heyday of early Northumberland railroading. By 1823 Paul and his family had moved and were living in Glamorgan County, Wales. Still, I wonder, since he lists his occupation in 1841 as "machine man," if he might have had something to do with the early machining of the new prototype steam engines. Interesting thought!

See http://www.northeastengland.talktalk.net/page68.htm#1813 for key dates in the developement of railways in northeast England.

Quote of the Day

"The man who does not read good books has no advantage over the man who can’t read them."
--Mark Twain

Great Great Great Grandfather John Davis

My Great Great Great Grandfather, John Davis, may have been born in Merthyr Tydfil, at one time called the iron metropolis of Wales. The town is said to owe its name to Tydvil, the daughter of Brychan, the King of the district and very devout old man, who was murdered in 420 by a party of marauding Saxons, or, variously, Irish Picts, together with her father and brother. A church was erected on the spot to her memory and named after her, MerthyrTydvil, or Tydvil the Martyr. Tydvil is not an uncommon feminine name in Wales to this day.

Cecilia Burton, sister of GG Grandfather Thomas

Great Great Grandfather, Thomas Burton had a sister named Cecilia (also my maternal grandmother's middle name). The history of that name is also very interesting.

CECILIA Gender: Feminine
Usage: English, Italian, Spanish, Swedish, Finnish
Pronounced: se-SEE-lee-a (English), se-SEEL-ya (English), che-CHEE-lyah (Italian), se-SEE-lyah (Spanish), the-THEE-lyah (Spanish) [key] Latinate feminine form of the Roman family name Caecilius, which was derived from Latin caecus "blind". According to legend, Saint Cecilia was a 3rd-century martyr who was sentenced to die because she refused to worship the Roman gods. After attempts to suffocate her failed, they chopped her head off. She is the patron saint of music and musicians.

Great Great Grandfather Thomas Matthias Burton

My Great Great Grandfather on my father's mother's side of the family, Thomas Matthias Burton, lived in western England. I've been intrigued to know from whence came his middle name. I found the following on the internet:

The Greek Matthias (or, in some manuscripts, Maththias), is a name derived from Mattathias, Hebrew Mattithiah, signifying "gift of Yahweh." Matthias was one of the seventy disciples of Jesus, and had been with Him from His baptism by John to the Ascension (Acts 1:21-22). It is related (Acts 1:15-26) that in the days following the Ascension, Peter proposed to the assembled brethren, who numbered one hundred and twenty, that they choose one to fill the place of the traitor Judas in the Apostolate. Two disciples, Joseph, called Barsabas, and Matthias were selected, and lots were drawn, with the result in favour of Matthias, who thus became associated with the eleven Apostles. Zeller has declared this narrative unhistoric, on the plea that the Apostles were in Galilee after the death of Jesus. As a matter of fact they did return to Galilee, but the Acts of the Apostles clearly state that about the feast of Pentecost they went back to Jerusalem.

My grandmother Davis always said that her forebearers had been ministers in England. So far, I have not found any evidence of that. Still, religion was obviously very important to the Burtons.

Albin Burton of Wiltshire, England

Another of my English ancestors was named Albin (or Alban) Burton. I wondered about the significance of such an unusual name. Here is what I found:

ALBAN
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English, German
Pronounced: AL-ban (English), AHL-bahn (German)
From the Roman family name Albanus which meant "from Alba" in Latin. Alba was the name of various places within the Roman Empire, including the city Alba Longa. The name "Albin" or "Alban" means white or pale-skinned and was common in Roman and medieval times. It was not common, supposedly, in modern times.

Saint Alban was the first British martyr (4th century). According to tradition, he sheltered a fugitive priest in his house. When his house was searched, he disguised himself as the priest, was arrested in his stead, and was beheaded.

We also find the name, more or less, in Roman/Britain history. The Governor of Britain at the death of the emperor Pertinax, Decimus Clodius Albinus attempted to seize the throne but ended up as Caesar in alliance with another imperial contender, Septimius Severus. After Severus defeated two other rivals, the now expendable Albinus was forced into another attempt at usurpation, an attempt that came to an end at the bloody battle of Lyon in 197 A.D.

Being named after a Roman emporer, however uncelebrated, would be pretty neat I'd say!

Gwendolain Williams (Burton) Davis

My Father's mother, Gwendolain Williams Burton, had a uniquely Welsh/English name, though the spelling was slightly different and was even noted in some records as Gwendolyn and Gwendoline. In any event, the name's origins are interesting as noted below:

GWENDOLEN
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Welsh/English
Pronounced: GWEN-do-len (English)
Means "white ring", derived from the Welsh elements gwen "white, fair, blessed" and dolen "ring".

Great Great Grandmother Elizabeth was a Rhydderch

My Great Great Grandmother, the lady who married my namesake Thomas Davis back in 1855, was named Elizabeth Jane Rhydderch. The name has an interesting history:

The White Book of Rhydderch Along with the Red Book of Hergest, this is one of Welsh literature's most notable manuscripts. Written in the mid 14th century, around 1350, the book is the earliest Welsh prose anthology, though it also contains examples of early Welsh poetry. Although it was originally a single volume, the collection is now bound as two separate volumes, known as Peniarth MS 4 and Peniarth MS 5. It was presented to the National Library of Wales as one of its founding collections, after being purchased by Sir John Williams in 1904. Peniarth MS 4 contains the earliest copies of the Welsh tales collectively known as the Mabinogion: the Four Branches of the Mabinogi; Culhwch and Olwen; The Dream of Macsen Wledig; Lludd and Llefelys; Peredur; Owain (also known as The Lady of the Fountain); and Geraint and Enid.

MS 5, originally the first part of the full manuscript, is made up of religious texts, translated into Welsh from the original Latin. The script takes its name from Rhydderch ab Ieuan Llwyd (c. 1325-1400), who was from Parcrhydderch in the Ceredigion parish of Llangeitho. It is believed that the book was copied for him in the mid-14th century. Rhydderch was part of a dynasty with a lengthy tradition of literary patronage, and is believed to have been an authority on Welsh law. Five scribes are thought to have worked on the manuscripts at the Strata Florida Abbey, a former Cistercian abbey situated just outside Pontrhydfendigaid, near Tregaron.

Much like the Red Book of Hergest, the manuscript is thought to take its name from its original owner and the colour of its first binding.

Special note: the designation, "ab" as in Rhydderch ab Ieuan Llwyd means simply, "son of."

A "Must See" in York, England

As we drive between Thurlby and the Middlesbrough area where the Davis Family, who by then had changed the spelling to 'Davies' for some as yet undiscovered reason, lived in the 1860s, we'll be passing very near the town of York. Located in York is Castle Howard. Set in over 1,000 acreas of parkland, lawns, woodland gardens, lakes, fountains, and magnificent rose gardens, it sounds like the perfect place to stop for lunch and spend a quiet afternoon.

Perhaps best known as the setting for the TV series "Brideshead Revisited". Designed by Sir John Vanbrugh who also designed Blenheim Palace, it took 60 years to build (1699-1759). In the 18th century it was redesigned to become the best private residence in Yorkshire. Its magnificent interior is packed with fine furniture and works of art; and its beautiful landscape, where peacocks and pheasants abound, includes a walled garden, woodland walks, lakes, bridges, obelisks, temples, and a mausoleum.

Nearby, is the Nunnington Hall. The Hall stands within eight acres of organically managed grounds, with the main walled garden lying to the south of the building. The Walled Garden includes lawns, orchards, formal Rose beds, mixed borders, a Tea Garden, and an Iris Garden. The orchards are managed as wildflower meadows containing flowers such as Cowslip, Primrose, Snake's Head Fritillary, Buttercup and Camassia all growing below the fruit trees of which most are traditional Ryedale varieties.

Also nearby is the Harlow Carr Gardens. Harlow Carr, set in a pretty valley with streams and woodland, covers 58 acres on the outskirts of Harrogate.The gardens are the headquarters of the Northern Horticultural Society and Harlow Carr shows what can be grown in the north - including some surprises and offers interest for all seasons - from woodland to wildflowers and alpines to autumn colour. Dramatic Rose Revolution borders display the clever use of mixed perennials, grasses and roses beautifully whilst combining sustainable practice, inspirational horticulture with a contemporary twist.

Hadrian's Wall and the Brown Family

My Acestors, the Browns, who married into the Davis family (Isabella Brown married my great grandfather, George Davis), lived for a time in the tiny village of Corbridge adjacent to Hadrian's Wall before moving to Wales in the 1820s. The earliest Brown I've found, Paul, claims to have been born in Scotland in the early 1790s. Later, several of his children were born in Corbridge, Northumberland, starting in 1816. Here's a little history of Hadrian's Wall from a UK government web site:

Hadrian's Wall and its associated features are the most complex and best preserved of all the
frontier works of the Roman Empire comprising the Wall itself, the Vallum, which probably marked the rear edge of the Wall zone, 16 forts (surrounded by civilian settlements) along or near the Wall, the Roman towns of Carlisle and Corbridge lying behind the Wall, and outpost forts protecting the approaches from the north. There are also many earlier Roman military works such as marching camps and permanent bases along the east-west Stanegate road which may itself have begun as a control line before the decision was taken to build the Wall.

Throughout the length of the Wall, the Roman remains survive remarkably well. Even in the most developed areas substantial remains are visible. In east Northumberland, the Wall itself is largely buried but its associated earthworks are visible for many miles and have had major effects on the post-Roman landscape. Other features, such as the Roman town of Corbridge, are well preserved. In the central sector, the remains of the Wall and associated features are prominent and often dominate the local landscape. In this area too, other traces of Roman occupation such as the Stanegate road and its forts are well preserved as are more ephemeral features such as marching camps. To the west the archaeology is less obvious but still visible in places as earthworks.

Visiting Middlesbrough, England

Near the end of our journey, Concetta and I are going to visit Middlesbrough, England, where the Davis family lived just before they immigrated to the United States. For some reason when they moved to Middlesbrough from Wales they changed the family name from Davis to Davies. Once they arrived in America in the 1870s, they changed it back. The following is some history of the Middlesbrough I gleaned from the local Dorman Museum:

Although the original settlement of Middlesbrough dates back to the Norman Conquest it is in the latter part of the 19th and 20th centuries that the town’s identity began to evolve.

In 1829 the Middlesbrough part of the Hustler family (of Acklam Hall) estate was sold and eventually went on to business men associated with the then world famous Stockton and Darlington Railway Company. They developed the land into coal shipping at Staithes to export coal from the Durham coalfield. This was just upstream from the present Transporter Bridge. Their ambition was to develop a port that would rival those of Sunderland and Newcastle.

As the first years saw massive amounts of coal moved the owners decided to commission the laying out of the purpose built town of Middlesbrough. The town, perhaps the first 'new town' developed in Britain, was designed on a grid pattern with a market square and church at its center. As the town grew, reaching 9,332 by 1853, other industries began to thrive. These included, shipyards, iron works, printers, breweries and an earthenware company.

In 1841 an Act of Parliament appointed an Improvement Commission to govern the town, meeting to deal with civic issues and the controlling of the market. In 1846 they were able to commission the building of Middlesbrough Town Hall by William Lambie Moffatt.

Henry Bolckow became the first town Mayor of Middlesbrough in 1853, he also went on to become the town’s first member of Parliament when the town became enfranchised in 1868.

Most of the men and their families in the original township came in the 1840s and 1850s to provide the labor in the newly founded industries.

In 1862 the soon to be British Prime Minister, William Gladstone, described Middlesbrough as, ‘the youngest child of England’s enterprise’ and ‘an infant Hercules’.

The vision of the town council was to extend Middlesbrough to the south. Therefore they bought up more building land and speculative housing deals were done creating villa and Victorian terraces in which the upper and middle classes could live. The praise by the Prime Minister for it’s successful was echoed in 1889 when the Prince of Wales said, "Your borough is young in years but the great increase in its population since 1841, and the wonderful development of its commerce are most remarkable and have given it already a position usually reserved for age…….it may be truly said that at the present moment Middlesbrough ranks amongst the highest reputations- not of England only but of the World for the importance of great and varied inductors, especially her vast iron trade."

In the 1870’s industry continued to grow as iron production gave way to steel production and, that produced, traveled the globe. Later the salt works, chemical production and bridge building also grew.

Although today heavy industry has all but ceased, the modern world is still stamped with the name of the town. Girders that make up bridges throughout Africa, Asia and even Sydney Harbor Bridge all bear the legend ‘Dorman Long and Co Ltd., Middlesbrough, England’.

Harry Potter Tours of London

Today I stumbled over these tours of London that specialize in Harry Potter locations:

http://www.londontaxitour.com/london-taxi-tour-sights-harry-potter-tour.htm
http://www.lynotttours.com/b-potter.htm
http://www.offtolondon.com/hp_tours.html
http://www.hpfantrips.com/