Sunday, 15 January 2012

An ancestor called Denzill?

My father's only paternal cousin is a lady called Denzyl, born in 1931. We have no idea how her parents came up with such an unusual name but she is universally known as Den.

Understandably, I thought Den would be the only Denzyl in the family tree! I was proved wrong (as so often happens in family tree hunting) when I discovered an ancestor in 17th century Lincolnshire noted in the registers of Horsington (near Woodhall Spa) as Denzill Turner. He is my great x9 grandfather.

Denzill appears to be part of a Turner family that has links with the village for several generations, including at least one more Denzill.

'My' Denzill's son James was baptised at Horsington in February 1688 - just months before The Glorious Revolution; see below for William of Orange landing at Brixham on 5 November 1688 - and it was his great, great granddaughter Mary Crowston (born Hall) who died in Whaplode in 1860, the village in which my father was baptised and his cousin Denzyl spent many of her childhood years.



Denzil apparently means 'fort' in Old English.

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