The Westenra family tree

[Joe]

I've come across a very interesting geneology website following the Westenra and other family surnames to well over a dozen generations. If you start here buxtonfamilies.com/ghtout/gtp133.html, you can see the three Westenra children at the far left; mum Jill and dad Gerald on their right. On the far right is Hayley's great-grandmother Dorothy Wardell and an right arrow. Click the right arrow to a new screen. Follow the surname Buxton by clicking the right arrow. It will lead to the year 1564 and to Alexander Buxton, who was born in Saffordshire, England. Quite fascinating.

[Dave]

Joe, that's a phenomenal piece of information!

Guess what? Ilam in Staffordshire (not Saffordshire lol) is a mere 15 miles from the Peak District town of Buxton, Derbyshire - and it doesn't take much brainpower to work out that's probably where the Buxton family (Gerald's descendants, apparently) got their name.

And... the nearest town to the Staffordshire village of Ilam is... Ashbourne, which i know well from my younger days. Twelve miles away is the village of Flash... the highest village in the entire UK (1500 feet). Not only that, but for three years I worked in Buxton, so I know the area very well indeed - it's my absolute favourite part of England.

That post of yours has made my day Joe... but I wonder how reliabIe such websites are? Hmmm... and I wonder if the Westenras themselves know about it?

[HWI]

I remember a couple of years or so ago, someone was posting messages asking for information on the Westenras because of a possible relationship. This is the same person.

Considering how long they have been working on this, the information looks a little sparse.

Family History is one of my biggest hobbies. I began mine in 1978. So, I would have expected much more detail to be shown than there is. One thing we do know is that the name Westenra has Dutch connections. There is also a link to Ireland. And, if a person has a name which is the name of a place, it is likely that the first bearer of the family name came from that place.

It would be interesting to see how that persons research develops.

Keith.

[gareth]

As to the Dutch connections, yes, the "Westen" part of the name is a plain Dutch word, meaning "The West". The English language uses "Western" with anything relating to the West, so perhaps that explains why so many people make the mistake of writing "Weste-r-na" instead of "Weste-n-ra".

Still, the name as such is very rare in Holland. I wonder if any connection is found with any person in Holland ....

Cheers,

Gerrit

[Joe]

Yeah, I found that website whilst searching the web for Sophie Westenra. Ah, Staffordshire (spelt with a 't'...my typing!)

Fancy Dave being familiar with some of the villages round Ashbourne and Buxton!

Gerrit, the only info I found which links the Westenra name to both Dutch and Irish ancestry is here...http://indigo.ie/~kfinlay/Gilbert/gilbert9.htm , (search for Westenra), a site telling about the first bridge erected across the Liffey in Dublin. Quoting from the website...

"[Patrick Darcy's] house in Bridge-street (Dublin), after 1641, became occupied by Derrick Westenra, a Dutch merchant, who, with his brother Warner, was naturalized in 1661. Warner Westenra purchased considerable tracts of land in the King's County from Colonel Grace, and by marriage with Eizabeth Wybrants, became ancestor of the present Lord Rossmore. Copper tokens are still extant, issued in 1665 by Warner Westenra, whose name was for some time preserved in a lane off Bridge-street, called " Westenra's-alley." "

At buxtonfamilies.com main page is displayed the Staffordshire Buxton's family crest.

I'm not sure of the reliability of the older info but some of the recent facts are interesting...we can see Gerald's sister Amanda and her children (Hayley's cousins).

Oh, Hayley's great-grandmother Dorothy Wardell, according to the website, was the first lady driver in Christchurch!

Keith, I know you are keen on your own family history. How have you done with it and how far back have you gotten?

[HWI]

Hi Joe,

I, too, am very familiar with Buxton. When I was much younger, we often used to go there on a day trip. A lovely town with it's own music festival. The drive to Buxton is lovely too, over the Cat and the Fiddle pass. Yes, named for the famous nursery rhyme.

I have been to Ashbourne but, am not very familiar with it.

My own researches have been on hold for several years now. I hit a brick wall on my father's side. We knew about there having been a name change but, family legend said it was to anglicise the name. The only relative who knew the story died ten years before I got interested. Anyway, I found the name change in about 1840 and have been unable to determine when, where, or why. Even top experts in the UK have been unable to assist.

My best progress was when checking back on my maternal grandmother's side. I progressed 263 years in just three weeks.

I am loathe to get back into it just yet because it is so addictive. There are too many thnigs to do just at the moment.

So, I always love to hear about other people doing the same thing.

And your own name intrigues me, too.

Cheers,
Keith.

[Joe]

Hi Keith,
I believe my ancestors from my father's side came to America from eastern Europe, sometime between 1850 and 1870. I reckon they lived near the Polish/Lithuanian border and came to Pennsylvania to work in the coal mines.

My surname (Sukenick) had also been changed (Americanized) when the family came to the US. There were a great many more letters than there are now. I'd love to be able to do research on my family tree. Seeing Hayley's has got me interested.

Fancy you knowing about Buxton and all!

Regards,
Joe

[HWI]

Hi Joe,

Yes, I know Buxton very well. Beautiful Spa town. Very tranquil. Very friendly.

Getting started in Family History Research is easy. If you want to know more about how to get started, email me and I will send you the first in a series of simple guidelines.

It is too involved, and probably of no interest for the forum. So, wouldn't be appropriate posted here.

But, I can show you the easy ways of doing it.

Cheers,
Keith.

[Dave]

joe said:

Yeah, I found that website whilst searching the web for Sophie Westenra. Ah, Staffordshire (spelt with a 't'...my typing!)

Fancy Dave being familiar with some of the villages round Ashbourne and Buxton!

Hi Joe, you will be delighted to learn that finally, I had the opportunity of mentioning the Buxton family's website to one the Westenras, Hayley's mum Jill. The subject of ancestry (Irish, Welsh etc.,) somehow came up last week at Hayley's Liverpool Philharmonic concert and I vaguely remembered the Buxton Family so Roger scribbled the name on a piece of notepaper which we handed to Jill. This probably wasn't very helpful of me!

Then, just before I left for the Tewkesbury Abbey concert yesterday, I remembered the earlier conversation and quickly printed out some information from the site listing Gerald's ancestors going back 13 generations to the Staffordshire Buxtons around 1500 A.D.(assuming the website is correct). I printed some background information about it too, with relevant links to the site. But I couldn't remember how we first found out about this (from you!) and there was no time to check before I had to leave.

Anyway, I was able fortunately to present the printout to Jill at Tewkesbury so perhaps, if she has time to visit the site, we may find out one day if the information is correct. I hope so!

Now that I've reminded myself who it was that first located this information, I will be sure to mention your name to Jill or Hayley the very next time I have the chance, possibly at at Banbury on Thursday this week. That was a neat bit of ferreting from you there, Joe!

By the way, the oldest known member of the Buxton family is said to have come from a village only two miles from the famous English Theme Park of Alton Towers, in Staffordshire!

Cheers, Dave

[Joe]

dave said:

Anyway, I was able fortunately to present the printout to Jill at Tewkesbury so perhaps, if she has time to visit the site, we may find out one day if the information is correct. I hope so!

Now that I've reminded myself who it was that first located this information, I will be sure to mention your name to Jill or Hayley the very next time I have the chance, possibly at at Banbury on Thursday this week. That was a neat bit of ferreting from you there, Joe!

Hi Dave,

I do hope that Jill or Gerald can verify some of the more recent info. I find it fascinating that Hayley's great-grandmother Dorothy Wardell, according to the website, was the first lady driver in Christchurch! Jill would love to hear about that!

Thanks for the mention of my name to the Westenras in association with your printouts and of the geneaology website . Hayley's just only seen my name on my gift that Roger was kind enough to give to Hayley in Liverpool.

All the best,
Joe

[Dave]

Hi Joe, I did remember to mention your name to Jill at Hayley's Banbury concert - although it was so soon after I first mentioned this that she hadn't yet had the time to look at the website. It wouldn't exactly be top priority in the middle of a Hayley tour!

Cheers,

Dave

[Joe]

Hello Dave,

I'm sure that Jill had a go at your printouts though. Thanks for mentioning me to Jill at Banbury.

All the best,
Joe

[stevemacdonald]

Here's a quick trivia aside:

In only one song does Hayley mention a tree. Name that song. And the tree.

[Caitlin]

Hi Steve!

The song is 'The Mummer's Dance' and the tree is...wait which tree would you like?!
There's the ash, oak, birch and yew!

Unless this is the completely wrong song!

<3 Caite

[stevemacdonald]

Oops, I forgot about Mummers.

I was thinking of "My Heart and I" -- weeping willows.