Another 100% DNA Match!

We have recently received back another 37 marker DNA test result and this likely confirms that George Farmery (who married firstly Anne Puttergill June 12th 1816 and secondly Sarah Handson January 4th 1827, both marriages being at Faldingworth) was the son of John and Elizabeth (nee Bell) Farmery who married at Walesby May 15th 1775. From the census returns George says he was born at Walesby ~ 1790, though no baptism has been found (a similar situation to Robert Farmery of Binbrook who says he was born at Walesby ~ 1787 but again with no baptism found). Descendants of George of Faldingworth and Robert of Binbrook have identical DNA which also matches with a "cousin" of mine with Farmery ancestry through Searby back to Walesby

Christopher John Kirman 1933 - 2009

On Sunday I attended the memorial service at St Margaret's Church in Ridge, Hertfordshire, for Chris Kirman who died July 25th 2009. Chris was the great grandson of John Kirman who married Jane Farmery January 1st 1865 at Covenham St Bartholomew, where Jane was baptised September 18th 1842, daughter of Thomas and Ann (nee Dobbs) Farmery. Thomas was the son of John and Elizabeth (nee Lowis) Farmery and grandson of John and Elizabeth (nee Bell) Farmery of Walesby and therefore Chris was likely a distant cousin of mine and descendant of the Farmery family of Northorpe .

Chris was very supportive of the Farmery one-name study and attended every gathering up to 2007 and his wife Eva could always be relied on to remember to bring tea towels in order to help with the washing up!

Sqd Ldr Clifford John Farmery, DFM

Sgt C J Farmery RAFVR was awarded the Distingushed Flying Medal in December 1941. His medal, along with 3 others awarded to him, featured on BBC "Flog It" on December 3rd 2009 and was subsequently sold by Adam Partridge Auctioneers of Congleton for £2,300.00.

Clifford John Farmery was born Clifford John German and was "adopted" by Augustus Harold Farmery and his wife Mary Annie (Tatler).
CJF was later promoted to Squadron Leader but was killed in the war January 21st 1944 and buried in Berlin War Cemetery, Brandenburg. Letters of Administration were granted to his "natural and lawful father" John Charles German of Crewe.

2009 Gathering Report

The 9th annual Farmery gathering was held at Bracebridge Heath Village Hall near Lincoln on Saturday September 26th 2009. Tom Doig gave a very informative talk on clues to dating old photographs and several of those present brought photographs with them. In the afternoon Susan Clayton talked on the role of the Church Courts, amusingly demonstrated by role play with three of those present! A group dinner was held that evening at the Wig and Mitre on Steep Hill and on Sunday a small group went on a "mini cruise" on the Fosse Navigation from Brayford Pool to Pyewipe followed by a visit to Doddington Hall.

2009 Farmery Gathering

This years Farmery gathering will be held at Bracebridge Heath, near Lincoln, on Saturday September 26th from 10.00am to 4.30pm.

Tom Doig, a well renowned family history speaker, will talk in the morning on "Dating Old Photographs" and attendees are encouraged to bring along original old photos to be dated.

[This is my great grandmother Jane FARMERY 1863-1946].

In the afternoon Sue Clayton, a former university Local History lecturer who runs a museum and community shop as a volunteer and is an Acting Development Officer for the Lottery Heritage Fund, will speak on "Church Courts".

I will have the Custodian Farmery database at the gathering along with other Farmery records and indexes that I have, including photocopies of every Farmery household schedule from the 1911 census. There will be an update on the FARMERY DNA research project and once again there will be plenty of time for informal discussion between those present with mutual interests. There will be plenty of table space available to anyone wishing to bring their own research material and notes to display.

On the Saturday evening anyone staying in Lincoln overnight is welcome to meet up for dinner and a visit is planned for the Sunday morning for anyone wanting to make a weekend of their visit to Lincoln. For further details of the gathering please email farmery@one-name.org

Custodian Database Hits 50,000!

Having entered into Custodian all the births after 1916 from National Registration where the mother's maiden name was Farmery/Farmeary/ Farmary etc and all the Farmery household schedules from the recently released 1911 census (I have photocopies of every schedule) I can announce that the number of Farmery name events in the database now exceeds 50,000 - and to be precise is actually just 113 short of 51,000!

Farmery as a Forename

I attended a Guild of One Name Studies "Poster Seminar" in London yesterday and put on a display on instances of the name Farmery being used as a first, or subsequent, forename and the possible reasons for this - maternal ancestry, honouring ancestors, inheritance, godchild, illegitimacy, adoption? My database contains 653 name events for someone with a Farmery forename!




One of the earliest instances I have found is Farmerie son of Wm Chetam baptised 15.10.1610 at Heapham.

A significant number of people I have noted were alluding to their descent from the Farmery family of Northorpe. Margaret Farmery (bap 12.2.1656 at Northorpe) married Thomas Law of Kings Cliffe, Northamptonshire, 20.4.1681 at Scotter and they had a son Farmary (bap 29.4.1699 Kings Cliffe). A later Farmery Law (bap 22.8.1784 Stamford) married Eleanor Carrington 10.2.1803 at Kings Cliffe and their children included William Farmery Law and Farmery John Law. Farmery John Law was a banker and shareholder and director of both the Newcastle and Tipperary Banks when they went under (shades of Northern Rock!) and appears frequently in the newspaper reports of the time.

Margaret wife of Thomas Law was the great grandaughter of John Farmery (died 1598 Northorpe) and his wife Isabella, through their son Christopher Farmery. Mary Farmery, another of their great grandaughters (through Christopher's brother son John), married Francis Epworth 29.10.1684 at Northorpe; their children included Francis Epworth (who had a son Farmary Epworth bap 3.3.1724 Cadney) and Farmary Epworth (who also had a son Farmery Epworth bap 17.8.1737 Keelby). Farmery Epworth (1737) had a sister Elizabeth who married Henry Cunnington 27.2.1770 at Holbeach and they had a son Farmery Epworth Cunnington (bap 7.6.1771 Holbeach).

Farmery Epworth (1737) married Jane Cuming 23.7.1764 at Totnes; Jane's mother, before marriage, was Grace Predam. He became a Rear-Admiral and their son Farmery Predam Epworth achieved the rank of Post Captain. In his will dated 17.11.1824 Farmery Predam Epworth named his "son or reputed son" Frederick Epworth; Frederick Morey Epworth was born sometime between 1805 and 1812 on "the Bay of Biscay". He may have been the son of Agnes Morrell who married Farmery Predam Epworth 1.2.1824 at St Pancras. Frederick Morey Epworth married Mary Ann Mackentear 1836 at Westminster and they had sons Bruch Christopher Pridam Epworth (father of Christopher Bruch Pridam Epworth) and Frederick Farmery Mackenteer Epworth.

Jane, wife of Farmery Epworth, had a sister Elizabeth Cuming who married Alexander Popham Luscombe 14.2.1772 Totnes; one of their grandchildren was Farmery Pridham Epworth Luscombe born 1809 Guernsey.

Farmerys in Ireland?

In the past I have been contacted on a number of occasions by people claiming Irish Farmery ancestors!

Some Irish BMD records have recently gone on line and I found 6 Farmery entries:
Arthur Henry born 1869 Cork RD (county Cork)
Arthur Henry death 1871 Kinsale RD (county Cork) age 1
Augustus Harold born Jun q 1878 Mallow RD (county Cork)
Herbert William death Sep q 1878 Mallow RD (county Cork) age 2
Walter Henry death Sep q 1878 Mallow RD (county Cork) age 4
Amy Louise born Jun q 1880 Naas RD (county Kildare).

The above are all the children of William Farmmery, a soldier in the 1st Bn 22nd Foot, and his wife Margaret.

William Farmmery, using the name James Farmmery age 18 born Wrexham, enlisted at Hunslet on February 1st 1858 for 10 years and re-enlisted for a further 11 years on October 18th 1867. He was promoted to corporal May 31st 1875 but was imprisoned August 12th 1876. After more than 24 years service he was discharged on Guernsey October 17th 1882.

His service record shows he was garrisoned N America New Brunswick (April 17th 1866), Cork (June 9th 1869), Channel Islands (May 25th 1871), Aldershot (July 29th 1872), Liverpool (September 12th 1873), Chester (May 11th 1874), Manchester (July 3rd 1874), Fleetwood (July 9th 1875) , Cork (March 24th 1877), Buttervant (December 6th 1877), Dublin (February 15th 1879), Curragh (December 14th 1879), Newry (August 13th 1880), Alderney (May 22nd 1882). From 1860 to 1866 he had been on Malta. The place of birth of all his known children fit with where he was garrisoned as above!

His service record also shows that he married Margaret Ann Blizzard at Fredericton, County York, New Brunswick (Canada) on April 13th 1867. I found a marriage listed in the Army marriage index and have a copy of the certificate: William Henry Farmmery bachelor Private 1/22nd Regt and Margaret Amelia Blizzard spinster, both of full age of Fredericton, were married in the garrison at Fredericton on April 13th 1867.

When son Augustus Harold himself enlisted on November 11th 1914 he stated that he was born at Butterford, county Cork.

Frederick Charles Famery son of William Famery, soldat 22 Regt, and Marguerite was born at Jerourg, StMartin, Guernsey August 26th 1871.

Walter Henry Farmery son of William Farmery, private 22nd Foot, and Margaret (nee Blizard) was born at North Fort (a battery on the river Mersey), Kirkdale October 26th 1873.

Florence Maud Farmery was born 1883 on Alderney.

James Farmmery was garrisoned at Fleetwood from July 9th 1875 to March 23rd 1877 but there is no birth in Lancashire for Herbert William Farmery born ~ 1876.

Margaret Farmery, wife of William Farmery, railway clerk, died July 17th 1885 at 80 Thomas Street, Monks Coppenhall (Cheshire), aged 34, making her birth ~ 1851 and therefore barely 16 in 1867 when she married William Farmmery who was then nearly 27.

John and Elizabeth Farmery with children Hannah (1831), John (1834), Mary Ann (1836), William (1840) and Henry (1840) were at Seven Bridge Lane, Wrexham Town in the 1841 census. John, Elizabeth and Hannah were all said to be not born in Denbighshire.

William Farmmery son of John Farmmery, paper hanger, and Elizabeth (nee Walker) was born at 11.50pm on August 27th 1840 at Sevenbridge Lane, Wrexham. The time on the birth certificate would sugest that William was a twin. Both William and Henry were born September q 1840 Wrexham RD; Henry Farmmery died March q 1841 Wrexham RD. Was William known as William Henry in later life due to the death of his twin brother?

John Farmery, paperhanger of Seven Bridge Lane, and Elizabeth his wife baptised four of their children at Wrexham - John (Farmerloy, 8.6.1834), Mary Ann (Fermery, 5.10.1836), and William and Henry (both Farmer, both 4.10.1840).

John Farmery, labourer, died of Asiatic cholera at 5 Neal's Yard, Hunslet Lane, Leeds September 29th 1849. Elizabeth Farmery, widow born Wrexham 1806, was at 11 St Peter's Square, Leeds in 1851, with children John (born Wrexham 1834), Mary A (Wrexham 1836) and William (Wrexham 1840).

Elizabeth Farmery, widow born Manchester 1805, was at Cundall Yard, Briggate, Leeds in 1861

Farmery of Northorpe

My oldest documented ancestor is probably Christopher son of Willyam and Jane Farmerie, baptised at Alkborough 22.4.1670. He married Ann Thomas at Burton upon Stather 29.6.1693 and it was their son Robert who was buried at Walesby in 1782.

Back in the middle of 2008 I spent a research weekend in Leeds with Malcolm and Veronica Farmery, looking specifically at the Northorpe Farmery family who were notable there in the 16th and 17th centuries. They are recorded in the Heralds Visitation but rather than take the printed tree as the starting point we instead reconstructed the families using their wills (proved at Lincoln Consistory Court, at Stow and at the Prerogative Court of Canterbury). Comparing these families to the printed tree in the visitation showed a couple of significant errors.

John Farmery of Northorpe (PCC will 1551) had children Robert, Margaret (wife of Edmund Yarburgh), John (clerk of Blyborough?) and William (born 1520?).

William Farmery of Northorpe (LCC will 1557) married Margaret Peake and had children William, John, George, Anthony, Robert, Elizabeth, Anne and Alice.

John Farmery (yeoman PCC will 1598) married Isabella and had children Ellen, Margaret, Jane, Christopher (named as his eldest son) and John.

Christopher Farmery married Barbara Bedford 11.10.1608 at Potterhanworth and was buried 19.12.1659 at Northorpe. They had children Amos (1609), Anne (1611), John (1614), Jane (1616), George (1618), Ellen, William, Christopher (1625) and Anne (1628/9); there are no baptisms at Northorpe for Ellen or William (who also does not appear on the tree in the visitation). The will of Christopher Farmery gentleman of Northorpe (Stow 1660) names "George my eldest son, Willyam my second son and Christopher my youngest son", suggesting that sons Amos and John were dead by 1654 (when the will was written) and that son William was born between 1618 and 1625. In 1661 William Farmery of Northorpe, and his brothers, released all their rights to the goods and chattels of their father in favour of their sisters Jane and Ann.

Could William (born 1618-1625) son of Christopher be the same William who baptised a son Christopher at Alkborough in 1670? The name Christopher does seem unique to this particular family and although William would have been an older father (aged between 45 and 52) in 1670 he could have had other children elsewhere prior to this date.

So can I trace my own Farmery line back to a death at Northorpe in 1551 and therefore a birth in the late 1400's?

First 100% 37 Marker DNA Match! Is this Farmery of Northorpe?

The test results for Farmery of Vancouver/Grimsby have now been received and are, as expected, a perfect match for Farmery of Binbrook!

The tree of the Vancouver/Grimsby family includes my 6 x gt grandfather Robert Farmery, warrener, buried at Walesby 16.11.1782 and his widow Ann, of Risby warren house, buried there 13.6.1785. It is thought that Robert and Ann had a son William baptised at Manton 27.5.1744 and he was buried in Walesby 9.10.1750. Elizabeth Farmery buried at Walesby 16.11.1765 age 16 (so born ~1749) is likely to be their daughter. This would suggest that Robert and Ann moved to Walesby between 1749 and 1750. It is possible that Robert is a descendant of the Farmery family of Northorpe, if so we now have the DNA signature for this well documented group!

The head of the Binbrook family was Robert Farmery who was, according to the 1851 and 1861 census, born 1787 Walesby. Although no baptism has been found it is thought that Robert was the son of John Farmery baptised at Walesby 2.2.1751 son of Robert Farmery and "Mary". As this is the only Farmery family in Walesby and they had only recently arrived in the village it is possible that John's mother was in fact Ann not Mary and this was an error of recording by the parish clerk.

John Farmery 1751 had a son John baptised Walesby 23.11.1777 - is this John the father of the illegitimate John Farmery Danby at the head of the North Ormsby family? The DNA signature for North Ormsby matches Binbrook and now Vancouver/Grimsby on 35 out of 37 markers, suggesting that Binbrook and Vancouver/Grimsby are the modal signature.

1911 Census Household Images

I spent yesterday at the National Archives in Kew where you can access the 1911 census (http://www.1911census.co.uk/) website and see the household images at no charge, printing out individual images for just 20p each. I was able to print out every FARMERY household for the whole country apart from the counties (Durham, Northumberland, Yorkshire East and North Ridings) not yet available. I would estimate that I came away with perhaps 200 A3 photocopies!
Even allowing for the petrol to Kew and back, this was very cost effective compared to viewing the images on line at home which needs 10 credits to view the transcript or 30 credits to view the actual image - the minimum number of credits that can be purchased is 60 for £6.95 (or 12p per credit) making a single image £3.50; even buying 600 credits for £49.95 (8p per credit) makes a single image £2.40. There is no charge to see the online index.

The 1911 census has been released 3 years early as it was not set up under the usual 100 year restriction. The whole of the household image can be seen apart from the final "infirmity" column which will be hidden until 2012. For the first time each household is on a single page and the image is of the schedule actually completed by the householder rather than as told to and written by the enumerator; the only downside of this is where the handwriting is not easy to read (not that every enumerator in earlier censuses had copperplate writing!) Extra information for this census includes how many years a couple have been married and the total number of children from the marriage, indicating the number still living and predeceased. Each household schedule is signed by the person, usually the head of household, filling in the form.

Now I just need to add these 700+ individuals to the database ....

Thetford Warren Lodge

Whilst in Norfolk over Christmas I took the opportunity to visit Thetford warren lodge which dates from the fifteenth century and was built as a home and headquarters for the gamekeeper of the prior of Thetford who had hunting rights in the area.

The principal room of the square tower form building was at first floor level and defensive features included the narrow loops for windows on the ground floor and a hole for dropping missiles above the entrance.

Rabbits were introduced by the Normans as an extra food source. About ten rabbits per acre could be caught each year without decreasing the stock which needed to be closely guarded from poachers. In Norfolk rabbit farming was still a local occupation right up to the second world war.

Robert and Ann FARMERY (my 6 x gt grandparents) appear to have moved into Walesby, Lincolnshire, between 1744 and 1750 and they were both buried there - Robert FARMERY, warrener, in 1782 and Anne FARMERY, widow of Risby warrenhouse, in 1785. It is likely their daughter Anne married Francis SOWERBY, warrener, in 1769 and Anne may have had a brother John who was also a warrener. There are no remains of the warrenhouse at Risby, a hamlet in Walesby parish - now just a farmstead.

1911 Census Now Available

Indexes to images from the 1911 census are available online for most counties. Some information on the actual images will not be available until after January 1st 2012.

All counties of major interest in terms of FARMERY representation are available apart from Durham and the East and North Ridings of Yorkshire.

The cost of viewing the transcriptions and images is quite high so at this point I have simply downloaded all entries from the index into an excel spreadsheet. I am slowly rechecking the index for the relationship to the head of household (head, wife, daughter, mother etc) with the aim of reconstructing individual families by then sorting on county, district, age etc.

Detailed below are the number of individuals and households (based on the number of "head of household" from the index) in 1911, with a comparison to the numbers on the 1901 census:

FARMERY
704 individuals in 163 households (1901: 792, 179)

FARMARY
0 individuals (1901: 12, 2)

FARMEREY
2 individuals in 1 household (1901: 0 individuals)

FARMEARY
9 individuals in 1 household (1901: 0 individuals)