FENLAND
FAMILY HISTORY SOCIETY

Leith Hutton's Genealogy Homepage Award of Excellence

Where We Meet

The Society meets at 19:30 on the fourth Thursday of each month (except August and December) at St Peter's Church Hall in Wisbech unless otherwise stated. There is a map of the centre of Wisbech to show the location of the hall.

We have a full programme, including speakers, members' evenings and outings. An archive of reports of previous years meetings is available.

Current Meeting Programme

2013

24 January 2013

Canals & Waterways around Wisbech

William Smith

28 February 2013

The Religious Houses of Medieval Lincolnshire -part 2

Brian Jones

28 March 2013

Members' Meeting

-

25 April 2013

Bastardy Orders 1601-1900 “Surnames”

Ann Cole Brian Jones

23 May 2013

Births & baptisms in 1800's

Tom Doig

27 June 2013

Out & About - Crowland or Long Sutton

Visit

25 July 2013

Maps & surveys 1910

Liz Carter

August 2013

No meeting

-

26 September 2013

AGM + Talk

Society + Wym Zwalf

28 September 2013

Fenland Family History Day 10am - 4pm

-

24 October 2013

A talk

Vicky Howling

28 November 2013

Xmas Social evening. Displays . Competitions. Buffet.

Social event

December 2013

No meeting

-

Summaries of meetings

2013 Description Author
January 2013    
February 2013 The Religious Houses of Medieval Lincolnshire

The speaker this month was our popular member Brian Jones, who was giving his talk entitled “The Religious Houses of Medieval Lincolnshire” Part 2, a continuation of the talk originally given over 2 years ago.

Brian explained the many changes taking place from the early years between 600 – 700, when the Danes invaded Lincolnshire and gradually altered every Religious House by 870,followed by the Saxons who then took over, until in 1066 the Normans changed the face of Religion for the next 500 years.

Lincolnshire alone had 120 Monastic sites, including 15 Abbeys; 35 Priories; 13 Alien Priories; 23 Hospitals [hospitality sites]; 17 Friaries; 4 Colleges and 2 Cells, all having a specific roll to play. The various Abbeys were ‘Closed Orders’, the monks were not allowed to leave once they had taken their vows. The Priories, always positioned outside the confines of the towns were able to give food and shelter to travellers who arrived after the town gates had shut for the night, and were also responsible for managing and directing the financial affairs of their particular order. The Friars went about within the local community, giving care where needed and preaching for donations, they ‘took the message’ to the local community. Colleges provided education.

There were a large number of different Monastic denominations including Cistercians [White ], Franciscans [Grey] Augustinians, Carmelites, Dominicans, Benedictines etc. all originating mainly from France or other parts of Europe. The only English Order in Lincolnshire were the Gilbertines at Sempringham Church.

Some of the Orders were very wealthy indeed. The Cistercians, based to the west of the county in the sheep rearing countryside, sent vast quantities of wool to the continent and with the money raised from the wool trade built many beautiful buildings. Boston, being a sea port also had great wealth from trade of varying kinds, while Stamford, situated on the River Welland and also on the Roman road linking the east coast to the Midlands had further trading opportunities with Calais, and other European ports.

Lincoln, being a land-locked City, needed to find other ways to raise money for its Religious Houses. Lincoln Cathedral was not monastic, it was purely a place of worship.

The Gilbertines at Sempringham Church were finally recognised in 1165 and were paid by King Henry II to take in eight Welch princesses and keep them secure, to prevent any chance of a Welch uprising against his rule. Princess Gwladys became a nun there and the presence of the others is documented by their headstones to the side of the church.

Other ways of raising money included paying for Absolution by endowing a church!! Raising tolls on Causeways to upkeep the causeways and keep the change!! Preaching ‘The word’ to the masses and encouraging donations for ‘blessings’ and for sins forgiven etc.

During the 1300’s there was great prosperity in the country, but the wealth declined during the 1400’s . Many towns and cities were ravaged by fires and the wooden buildings were lost. in the 14th Century, due to the plague and the shrinkage of monastic life other buildings fell into disrepair and were ‘re-cycled’ by the local population, so very few remain to-day. Crowland Abbey was the only one ‘re-founded’ and was the main power base in Lincolnshire.

Judy Green
March 2013    
April 2013
“Surnames”

The speaker for this month was Brian Jones,who filled in at very short notice for Ann Cole who had transport problems.

The topic for Brian’s talk was “Surnames”, and what they could tell us about the past and the meanings of many names in use today.

Before the Normans arrived in England, people did not have surnames, but were known by nicknames or descriptive names e.g. Red , Black etc. Today there are more than 45000 different surnames in England. 30% of Welsh population are named Jones while 6% of the rest of the U.K are called Jones making it the second most numerous name in U.K. Smith is still the most numerous name.

Brian had, naturally, researched the name of Jones and found that it originated in Huntingdonshire in 1279. as a surname.

It was not until 1400 that hereditary surnames were handed down through the male line.

Immigration and migration caused many name changes as there were no forms to fill in, and many people decided to make new lives for themselves by simply changing their names. So some names may not have disappeared, but instead have just been changed at the whim of the family, for reasons best known to themselves!!

Descriptive names e.g. John the butcher became Mr Butcher, and descriptive nicknames were recorded as true names e.g. Mary of the woods became Mary Woods.

Many Irish and Scottish names were derived from the Gaelic, and spelling and dialect gradually altered many names.

In the early days of immigration surnames indicated the origin of the person : Beamish from Bohemia; Hannay – Hainault; Janeway – Genoa; Moore – Morocco; Brisowe – Bristol or Burstow ; Vyse – Devises.

Others denoting origin were: Surtees – on the Tees; Pickersgill – stream with pike in it; Hope or Holme – raised in the Fens; Burn or Bourne – stream; Fleet – stream, river , estuary; Sike or Sykes – marshy stream.

Many community names became surnames: Chapman – shopkeeper; Latimer – interpreter; Leech – physician; Barker – tanner; Jenner – engineer; Milner – miller; Bannister – bath keeper; Pargetter – plasterer; Arkwright – maker of arks and chests, while Mason; Thatcher; Fisher etc. were descriptive of industry.

Names such as King, Pope, Bishop, Monk and Abbott were nicknames or travelling players of mystery or religious plays, who played the same roll each year as they travelled about the country.

Many thanks to Brian,who in his inimitable way, provided an interesting and amusing evening for all the members of the FFHS.

Judy Green
May 2013    
June 2013    
July 2013    
Sep 2013    
Oct 2013    
Nov 2013    
Dec 2013    

Last Updated on: 29 April, 2013

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