10th Anniversary Farmery Gathering

Saturday September 25th 2010 will see the tenth international Farmery gathering in the village hall at Bracebridge Heath, near Lincoln (LN4 2LB).

Guests this year are already confirmed from Italy, New Zealand and Canada!

The first gathering was held on May 20th 2000, then every year from September 28th 2002.

• 10.00am Registration and Coffee
• 10.30am Welcome and Introductions (Alan Moorhouse)
• 10.45am On The Menu Tonight - Food From The Past (Lynda Hotchkiss)
• 11.45am Open/workshop session
• 12.30pm Lunch (at leisure)
• 2.00pm Afternoon session commences
• 2.15pm Newspapers - The Importance of Using Them in Research (Peter Edwards)
• 3.15pm Open/workshop session
• 4.15pm Raffle, Tea
• 4.30pm Close

Lynda Hotchkiss is a Community Engagement Officer, well known local speaker and research consultant with G&LH search. Her talk will be supplemented with a range of cooked food samples!

Peter Edwards, a 6th generation Fens native, is owner and senior researcher with Hereward Researchers and a respected local expert and speaker.

The raffle will be in aid of the Star Appeal at the National Star College in Cheltenham.

For those waniting to make a weekend of it there will be an informal gathering at The Premier Inn Canwick on Friday evening, a more formal dinner in Lincoln on Saturday evening and a visit on Sunday morning.

For more information please email me.

Old Surname Spellings

From my database the first recorded instance of the surname Farmery is 1545-7 in London and 1551 in Lincolnshire. I have a number of earlier events but for spelling variants, the earliest being from 1186-1199. Listed below are the various different spellings found in these early times:

1186-1199: Jordan de Infirmaria witnessed a grant of maintenance from Reading Abbey [Reading Abbey Cartulary]

1205?: William Framery (Framerii) [manuscript relating to Earl of Leicester]

1200-1215: Roger de Infirmaria witnessed sale to the prior and convent of St Gregory, Canterbury [Ancient Canterbury Deeds]

1220-1230: gift of a messuage in Reading to Ralph de Infirmario for his homage and service [Reading Abbey Cartulary]

1216-1244: Robert de Fermeria witnessed sale of land at Croxton, Leicestershire [Charters and Muniments at Berkeley Castle]

1240-1250: Grant of land from Roger de Infirmitorio, of Croxton, Leicestershire [Charters and Muniments at Berkeley Castle]

1251/2?: Inquisition regarding Carlisle Forest - John de Furmerie [Cumberland and Westmorland Antiquarian and Archaeological Society]

1240-1256: Thomas de ffermeria witnessed grant of land [Cockersand Abbey Cartulary]

1274/5: arraignment against James de la Fermerie [Patent Rolls, Waltham, Essex]

1274/5: arraignment by John de Furmerys [Patent Rolls, Tallentire, Cumberland]

1275/6: arraignment against Roger de la Fermerie [Patent Rolls, Hill, Gloucestershire]

1278/9: arraignment by Simon de la Fermerye [Patent Rolls, Stanford, Bedfordshire]

1287: brother R[obert] de Furmerey, Canon of Giseburne, licensed to transfer to a stricter order [Gyseburne Priory Cartulary]

1293: Lettice de Firmaria [Chester Pleas Rolls]

1298: indebtedness of King to Alan de la Fermerye of Spalding: 12l 16s 8d for 2 sacks 24 stone [Patent Rolls]

1313: counsel of Richard del Fermorie of Werk [Inquisition Post Mortem, Morpeth, Northumberland]

1326: death of Simon de la Fermorie, skinner [Coroners Rolls, Walbrooke St Stephen, Middlesex]

1377: Robert Firmarie, pouchmaker [Calendar of Letter-books, London]

1535: William Furmarie of Egmanton [PCY will]

1545-7: William Farmery alais Baynton [Enrolments of Leases and Pensions, London]

1551: John Farmery of Northorpe [PCC will]

Today Farmery is the main surname spelling found, with a small number of families using Farmerey and Farmeary (pronounced "farmery"). Another variant I have recently come across is Farmere (pronounced "farm-year") on Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada.