Search the Site
Create a Site
Read the News
Whats On
On the Wareham side of the family my great x 5 grandmother was Susannah Blachford daughter of John and Susannah Blachford. Through her ancestry comes connections to Lords of the Manor of Sandhill in Fordingbridge. The Blachfords married into the Wright family of The Soke in Winchester and the Watertons of Walton in Yorkshire. Through the Wrights comes connections to the Yorkist family of the Wars of the Roses and to King Edward III and through the Watertons are connections to the Earls of Salisbury and to King Edward I. For the Blachford (Waterton and Wright) family history and trees see under 'Wareham family tree'. See also 'related documents page 2' for information about the Blachfords in the Civil war and for an essay 'Our Family's Rich Heritage' which details some of the ancestral lines of the family.
Blachford Farm, East Orchard, Dorset
The roof in the centre amongst the trees is that of the farm held by my 6th great grandparents and where my 5th great grandmother Susannah Blachford was born and raised. Now called Blackberry Farm at Hartgrove near East Orchard in Dorset. John Blachford, Susannah's father, held the farm from 1759 and he was grandson of Gentleman Daniel Blachford of Fordingbridge who was Lord of the Manor of Durston in Somerset. Daniel in turn was son of Gentleman Richard Blachford who was Lord of the Manor of Sandhill.
Sandhill Manor, Fordingbridge, Hampshire
This is a picture from the 'Forres Sandle Manor School' website (I hope they don't mind!) showing what I believe is the Elizabethan front to the old Manor House. The Manor used to be called Sandhill but is better known now as 'Sandle' or 'Sandleheath'. The Blachfords inherited the Manor through the marriage of Richard Blachford to Eleanor Waterton in 1623. Eleanor inherited it from her father Robert Waterton and he in turn held it from his wife Jane Moleyns (or Molyns / Molins) whom he married in 1602. The first mention of the Moleyns family and Sandhill is the will of Nicholas Moleyns in 1429. Prior to that the Moleyns family held mills in Petherton and Durston in Somerset and the Hampshire Heraldian Visitations claim that they descend from a Sir Richard Moleyns who died 1324. I am not so confident about the link to Sir Richard but think the line goes back to a John Moleyns and his mother Joan in Somerset in the early 14th century.
Sir John Montacute, Salisbury Cathedral
This is believed to be the tomb of Sir John Montacute (son of William Montacute, Earl of Salisbury) at Salisbury Cathedral. He fought at Crecy and Poitiers and was Steward to King Richard II. Sir John married Margaret De Monthermer who was the granddaughter of Joan of Acre who was a daughter of King Edward I. This line is confirmed in Heraldian visitations and on the Blachford Coat of Arms and comes from the marriage in about 1500 of William Moleyns and a daughter of the Montacute family of West Camel in Somerset who descend from the Earls of Salisbury.
Earl William de Longespee
The magnificent tomb of Earl William at Salisbury Cathedral. He is a x 24 generation great grandfather through the Waterton and Wright family lines. He was 3rd Earl of Salisbury, 1st creation and a half brother of Kings John and Richard having been an illegitimate son of King Henry II. He was a brave Knight and laid one of the foundation stones of Salisbury Cathedral. He was probably murdered at Old Sarum by arsenic poisoning by a rival Knight.
Salisbury Cathedral
View of the Cathedral from the house in which I currently live. It is amazing to think that my family descend from people who were benefactors for the founding of this magnificent building and who were present at the laying of the foundation stones - Earl William Longespee and King Henry II. I am sure there are others further down the social scale who may have been present and worked on this building but whose historial lines have not been recorded.
St Johns Church, The Soke, Winchester
Great x 9 grandmother Elizabeth Wright, who married Richard Blachford at Rockbourne in 1647, was baptised here in 1620. Elizabeth was granddaughter of William Wright, Esquire, and his wife Elizabeth Strangeways who held alot of property in the area. Elizabeth Strangeways was a descendent of King Edward III through the Dukes of York and Anne of York who was sister of Kings Edward IV and Richard III. St Johns has another connection with the Blachfords through the Pinhorne family of Fordingbridge who married into the Pope family of Rockbourne. A great x 11 grandfather, gentleman Gilbert Pope, married a Clara Travers of Winchester and her parents John (a wealthy clothier) and Joan were buried at St Johns in 1614 and 1615.
Hymerford House, East Coker, Somerset
One of the coats of arms on the Blachford crest (1633 London Heraldian Visitations) is that of Hymerford. John Moleyns of Sandhill Manor married Elizabeth, daughter of Henry Hymerford in about 1540. The Hymerfords held this house from 1377.
St Mary & All Saints Church, Ellingham, Hampshire
Great x 8 grandfather Daniel Blachford was baptised here on 3rd March 1651. he was the son of the gentleman Robert Blachford of Sandhill Manor in Fordingbridge and his first wife Elizabeth (nee Wright).
St Mary's Church, Fordingbridge, Hampshire
My Blachford family were associated with this church between 1623 when the marriage of Robert Blachford and Eleanor Waterton (great x 10 grandparents) took place up till the baptism of my great x 5 grandmother Susannah Blachford here on 5th September 1744. Prior to that the ancestors of Eleanor Waterton, the Moleyns family who owned Sandhill Manor that she later inherited, were associated with the church back to the late 14th century. John Moleyns (great x 17 grandfather) said in his will of 1483 that he wished to be buried under the image of St Michael the Archangel which was in teh 'east part of the church called Our Lasy Aisle'.