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Here, gathered in our beloved South Dakota, are a few members of our Williamson / Mattson Clan. Charles and Luella are to be blamed (be kind, they didn't know what they were doing). We're generally a happy bunch and somewhat intelligent (notwithstanding our tenuous grasp on reality). I'm also proud to say that most of us still have our teeth.

Friday, April 13, 2012

The Appleyard Branches in our Williamson Family Tree.




From the Fortress of Solitude
Pleasant Grove

Hello Williamsons,
Today we study the Appleyard branch of our family history. The Coat of Arms is illustrated above. We begin with the Relationship Chart.

Relationship Chart

Bartholomew Appleyard (1335 - 1412)
is your 17th great grandfather
Son of Bartholomew
Son of William
Son of Sir Nicholas
Son of John
Son of Nicholas
Daughter of Roger
Son of Frances
Daughter of Anthony
Daughter of Lady Temperance
Daughter of Elizabeth
Son of Mary
Son of John
Daughter of John
Son of Susanna
Son of Mathew
Son of George Matthew
to
Ima Della, Vinnie, Inez, Lillie Ethel, Josie Elvery, Emmett, Walter, Charles, Maurice
to
Us

In 1066, the Normans invaded from France and were victorious at the Battle of Hastings. In 1070, Duke William took an army of 40,000 north and wasted the northern counties, forcing many rebellious Norman nobles and Saxons to flee over the border into Scotland. Meanwhile, the Saxons who remained in the south were not treated well under hostile Norman rule, and they also moved northward to the midlands (Lanchashire and Yorkshire), away from the Norman oppression.
Nevertheless, this notable English family name, Appleyard, emerged as an influential name and gained prosperity in and around the county of Yorkshire. The Appleyard family traces their ancestral roots back to Anglo-Saxon origin before the year 1100. Sir Elias Appleyard, knighted under the reign of King Edward I (Longshanks), recorded his estates in Wakefield in 1275, and Sir Nicholas Appleyard recorded his estates in the same year, in Norfolk. Elias and Nicholas were brothers, holding large estates and Manors of a vast area of land. Both were the son of Sir Richard Appleyard and the grandsons of Sir William Appleyard, of Dunham, in Norfolk. Sir William Appleyard served the court of the then King Stephen (1135-1154, nephew of Henry I).
The surname Appleyard flourished during the turbulent middle ages, contributing greatly to the cultural development of England. During the 12th and 13th century, the Appleyard family served England well, in both high and powerful positions. Sir Bartholomew Appleyard, a citizen of Norwich, Lord of several Manors and patron of several Advowsons, was Baliff of the City of Norwich in 1355, 1366 and 1372, and Burgess in Parliament in 1376 and 1412. A benefactor to Saint Andrew's church, in Norwich, where he was eventually buried in a Chantry therein, founded in 1388 for the souls of himself and his son Sir William Appleyard, and their ancestors and successors.

St. Andrews Church, Norwich
Sir William Appleyard was thought of as a man of principal figure and fortune. He was, like his father Sir Bartholomew Appleyard, the Lord and patron of several Manors and Advowsons, respectively. He was eleven times Burgess in Parliment, three times Baliff of Norwich (1386, 1395, 1401), and six times Mayor (1403, 1404, 1405, 1411, 1412 and 1418); he being the first Mayor of Norwich (1403). In 1402, he was Escheator (tax collector) of Norfolk during the reign of Henry IV.
William married Margaret, daughter of Sir Robert Clere (Esquire)of Ormesby and had three children: Nicholas, Elizabeth (married Sir Robert White of Shotesham) and Katherine (who married Sir John Ward, Esquire). He lived in the Manor built by his father Bartholomew (about 1370) on the south of the church, now known as the Bridwell Museum and was renowned for its exquisite flint-work. He also held the Manor of Intwood and was also the Lord of the Manor of Braconash. He died in 1419, his will being proved at Norwich on October 14, 1419.
Sir Nicholas Appleyard, son of Sir William Appleyard, inherited all of his father's estates and resided in Dunston, briefly. He married Margaret Thornbury of London, daughter of Sir Philip Thornbury of Bygrave, in 1419 (age 25) and upon her father's death (1457), the two moved into his estate, the Manor of Rainthorpe, in Norfolk. Sir Nicholas sold the Manor of Intwood to Thomas Witherby, the rich Alderman of Norwich. He became patron of Bygrave Rectory after Sir Phillip's death in 1461.
Sir John Appleyard, eldest son of Sir Nicholas Appleyard (above) settled into Braken Hall, with his new bride Margaret Braken in 1466. He was Lord of the Manors of Bygrave, Carleton, Hethill, Newton and Rainsthorpe. He died in August of 1498 and bequeathed his body to be buried in Grey Friars Church, Norwich.

The Battle of Flodden Field

Sir Nicholas Appleyard, first son of Sir John Appleyard inherited all of his father's "lands and rights", but was called to service by King Henry VIII to face the Scottish King, James IV and his forces in battle. Henry VIII, in 1513 had led a victorious campaign against the French; in retaliation the Scots declared war on England. Henry's forces repelled the Scots at the Battle of Flodden Field where the King of Scotland, James IV was killed. One of the many slain knights was Sir Nicholas Appleyard. The following is a report made to King Henry VIII and is as follows:
"Knightes made at the battaill on Bramston Moore, otherwise called Flodden Field, which field was faughten the IX day of September, in the yere of our Lord God 1513, being fifte yere of the reign of king Henry the eight betweene the king of Scottes and his people to the number of 60,000 on the one partie, and the erle of Surrey, thresurer and marshall of England and lieutenant generall in the North Partes, and certain nobles and subjectes of the kinge of England to the number of 30,000 on the other partie. At what time the Scottish king and divers of his noblemen were slayne."