The Start Of A Journey Into The Past
This is a badge/emblem of "John & Francis West " . John and Francis were benefactors to the Christ's Hospital School when it was rebuilt after the Great Fire of London , their legacy remains today in the form of scholarships and pensions to blood descendants . John and Francis themselves did not have any children so the descendants are those of John and Francis's siblings . The three images on the three and one quarter inch diameter badge represent the sun setting in the "west" , the roll of cloth, John's training in the Clothworker's Guild and the last image to show that he became a scrivener .
Now my wife knew there was a family connection to the John and Francis line and with only three generations to show proof was able to have the family added to the pedigree !!!
Now on the pedigree a family line ( in fact two connections ) led straight back to early 1600s !
Once here the journey into history really began and with a few pointers from another member of the group the family line became history and not research . We found that some famous names from history are there such as William Marshal - the Greatest Knight that ever lived .
But , the favourite connection of my daughter is to Adeliza of Louvain - she was the second wife of King Henry the First . After Henry died, a few years later she married William d'Aubigny who was once one of Henry's aides and he became on marrying Adeliza The First Earl of Arundel and it was he that built the stone keep we see today . This was the time of The Anarchy , the first English civil war between Stephen and Matilda for the throne ( and that is a whole new chapter ) after nearly twenty years of fighting peace was brokered at Wallingford Castle by William d'Aubigny .
William also built Castle Rising Castle and that too is another chapter !!
So the badge we see does open a doorway to the past for my wife and daughter .
For those of you who remember the society class sketch with John Cleese , Ronnie Barker & Ronnie Corbett --- in the words of Ronnie Corbett " I KNOW MY PLACE !!! "
I could add so much more information but I am sorry for going on as I have and sorry to repeat it to those of you that have heard me rambling on about this in the past .
For those who have not seen the social class sketch - have a peep and a laugh.
The Start Of A Journey Into The Past
This is a badge/emblem of "John & Francis West " . John and Francis were benefactors to the Christ's Hospital School when it was rebuilt after the Great Fire of London , their legacy remains today in the form of scholarships and pensions to blood descendants . John and Francis themselves did not have any children so the descendants are those of John and Francis's siblings . The three images on the three and one quarter inch diameter badge represent the sun setting in the "west" , the roll of cloth, John's training in the Clothworker's Guild and the last image to show that he became a scrivener .
Now my wife knew there was a family connection to the John and Francis line and with only three generations to show proof was able to have the family added to the pedigree !!!
Now on the pedigree a family line ( in fact two connections ) led straight back to early 1600s !
Once here the journey into history really began and with a few pointers from another member of the group the family line became history and not research . We found that some famous names from history are there such as William Marshal - the Greatest Knight that ever lived .
But , the favourite connection of my daughter is to Adeliza of Louvain - she was the second wife of King Henry the First . After Henry died, a few years later she married William d'Aubigny who was once one of Henry's aides and he became on marrying Adeliza The First Earl of Arundel and it was he that built the stone keep we see today . This was the time of The Anarchy , the first English civil war between Stephen and Matilda for the throne ( and that is a whole new chapter ) after nearly twenty years of fighting peace was brokered at Wallingford Castle by William d'Aubigny .
William also built Castle Rising Castle and that too is another chapter !!
So the badge we see does open a doorway to the past for my wife and daughter .
For those of you who remember the society class sketch with John Cleese , Ronnie Barker & Ronnie Corbett --- in the words of Ronnie Corbett " I KNOW MY PLACE !!! "
I could add so much more information but I am sorry for going on as I have and sorry to repeat it to those of you that have heard me rambling on about this in the past .
For those who have not seen the social class sketch - have a peep and a laugh.