General Notes

b.  England

Some Speculation on the ancestry of the Estey name:

Information recieved from Ralph B. Esty speculates that Jeffrey's father was a Richard son of Richard who died in 1484 in the county of Essex, England. His will made in Kilmedon leaves his property to his son Richard. Further information from Karl Gelpke's book puts Richard's death at June 7, 1484 leaving a wife, Joan, son Richard and two daughters, Joan and Agnes. His will was proved on October 11 that year according to records at the Archdeaconry of Essex.


Speculation on the ancestry of the Estey line has the possibility of Italian roots in the 10th century.


A common story that seems to be told by many people of Estey lineage is that they descend from the House of Este` or Villa d'Este` in Italy. The following is from information sent to me by Ralph B. Esty and the World Book Encyclopedia [Author(s) unknown]:


"THE ITALIAN ESTE FAMILY GENEALOGY
(Este, Estie, Easty, Estey, Esty)


Early History Records from Italy

Este-City of Italy, in the Provence of Padua. It stands on the slopes of the Euannanean Hill, 20 miles south-west of Padua. It is enclosed by medieval walls, has a ruined castle, a cathedral, and two other churches, one with a leaning bell tower. A Roman town, it became the seat of the Este Family in the 10th century, and in 1408 it surrendered to Venice. The House of Este ( Villa d'Este` ), a noble Italian family, ruled in Ferrara.

D'Este; House of Padova, Ferrara, Modena, Reggio. One of the most famous families of Italy. Origin of name, Ateste, the "At" was dropped. The power was given by the Emperor Ottona in the year 981. Their government was spread from Padova to Ferrara, Reggio and Modena. Power ended in 1806 and the last personality of the family was Beatrice, wife of Ferdinando of Austria. She died in 1806. Members of the family were also Dukes of Baviera, and Sassonia. Duke Brunswick York of Cambridge Cumberland. Dukes of Modena, Reggio and Mirandola. They were great warriors and poets. They built the Villa d'Este` in Rome.

I Alberto (Oberto) Azzo II Margrave (b. 996 d. 1097 in Burgundy, France) was the true founder of the Este' family, which took its name from the township and castle of Este. He married Kunegonda, a sister of Welf III, Duke of Carinthia. Welf being without children adopted their son, Welf, as his heir. Alberto married second, Gersende, daughter of Herbert I Count of Maine. They had a son Folco I.

II Family power passed to Folco I (d. ca. 1136)

III Succeeded by Obizzo I (d. 1193). During Obizzo's time the Estensi first acquired political importance through a marriage contract with the Marcheselli family one of the two families who were in contention for power in Ferrara. The Torelli family was the other and for the years to follow were the rivals of Este for control of the city.

IV Azzo VI (1170-1212) Obizzo's grandson was the next to take the seat of Este power and expanded its sphere of influence to include Pope Innocent III, who created him margrave of Ancona. Azzo's early death saw the family power weakened and the Torelli's took advantage of this when Azzo's son Azzo VII was expelled from Ferrara in 1222. In this void Salingguerra Torelli siezed power.

V Azzo VII (1205-1264) regained power in 1240 with an alliance with the Guelph League formed by Pope Gregory IX. At the end of a four month siege of the city it was occupied and Salingguerra Torelli was imprisoned.

VI Obizzo II an illegitimate son of Azzo's son Rinaldo, who died a prisoner of Emperor Frederick of Apulia was the next to recieve power. He was made perpetual lord by the people of Ferrara and also the first of the Este to chosen lord of Modena in 1288 and of Reggionell'Emilia in 1289.

VII Obizzo's son Azzo VIII (d. 1308) caused the family power to fade due to his designs on Parma and Bologna. This drove Modena and Reggio into revolt in 1306 compormising the Este` authority at home and excluding his brothers Aldobrandino and Francesco from all share of power, thereby making them his enemies. Azzo had aligned with the Venetians, the brothers were supported by Pope Clement V, who was overlord of Ferrara. Power was fully returned to the Estensi by 1317 .

VIII Information I have at this point is a little vague, (a possible French side of the family took power here for a time) a Francesco D'Estee.

IX Niccolo III (Nicolas) ( in power 1388-1441) completed the establishment of the Este` Dynasty through wise and prudent rule.

X Leonello d'Este ( in power 1441-1450) d. 1450 was able to devote his time to creating a colorful court and introducing Renaissance culture.

XI Francesco d'Este` in 1434 migrated to Burgundy, France and thence to England. This migration is believed by some to be the beginning of the Estee family in England.

**************** **************** **************** ****************

The following excerpt is from Karl A. Gelpke's book "Esteys of England and America" and gives a convincing argument that the Estey name or derivatives thereof existed in England before the time of Francesco d'Este's migration from Burgandy to England in 1434.


" THE ENGLISH EASTIES


The name Esty ( Easty, Eastie, Eastye, Estye, Eastdye) is not a common one in England, nor is it a very ancient one. It is a geographical surname and refers to those who lived in or came from the East. When more than one person in a village bore the same given name, an additional entry was made in the records to distinguish between them. One such place names were preceded by a preposition as "de, atte, or in", i.e., de Este or East. By the 14th and 15th centuries, these prepositions had been dropped or absorbed into the name.

The geographical position of East Anglia, home of the Esteys, prompts interesting speculation as to the origin of the English Easties, some of whom were blond people. This part of England took the brunt of marauding and invasion by blond savages of Denmark and the Scandinavian countries in the pre-Conquest era. It is also the area where Flemish workers relocated to pursue their textile skills when the royal decrees of Edward III prohibited exportation of unfinished cloth, which previously had been finished in Flanders -- then too, the French Huguenots fled persecution, with many emigrating to East Anglia during the reign of Elizabeth I. They were craftsman and textile workers with notable concentrations in East Anglia, e.g., Colchester in Essex. Franche Comte (Burgundy) where the Esty name was of sufficient importance to warrant a coat of arms (1) is close enough to the Rhine River to encourage emigration to the Netherlands, Flanders, Belgium, and East Anglia by this route, if the forces of economics, politics, or religious persecution were burdensome enough.

It has been suggested that the name is of Italian origin and related to the illustrious and powerful medieval house of d'Este whose family seat was at Este , Venetia, Italy. This ancient town is older than Rome and was established by Ateste after the taking of Troy. The d'Este dynasty was founded by Albert Azzo II in 1097 and flourished until the 17th century. It was renowned as a patron of the arts; Raphael, Leonardo da Vinci and Mantegna were at one time court painters for the family. The portraits of Isabella and Beatrice d'Este by da Vinci testify to the beauty and nobility of the women of this ancient house. The history of medieval and renaissance Italy saw much of this family, which first reaches prominence in the wars between the Guelphs and the Ghibellines. The Guelph cause supported by the d'Este s triumphed and the family glory reached its peak in the 13th century. In the 15th century Leonello (1407-1450) became ruler and reigned wisely and virtuously, the while supporting art and literature. It is Leonello's natural son, Francisco, born 1434, who fled to Burgandy, France and thence to England about 1470, who raised interesting speculation as to the Italian origin of the English Esteys. Similar ideas have been prompted by the presence of Italians in England before Henry III (1216-1272) at which time they operated as tradesmen, merchants, bankers, silk workers, and engineers. In 1290 a serious racial conflict arose between this group and the money-lending class at Bury St. Edmonds, Suffolk. The Italian merchants were victorious and the county came under their control and domination.

Any or all of these facts could have contributed to the Eastie name (2) or family, but the documented history of the family commences in Essex and Suffolk Counties in the 14th century, where we find their economic status to be that of yeoman, farmer stock, which in the next several generations, occasionally produced alderman, guild leaders and divines. The successes of Edward III in this century, including victories at Crecy and Poitiers produced the patriotic pride which melted away the lingering jealousy and hatred separating the Normans and Englishmen since the conquest. Now they became a united people and given names originating with both races were used in the same family, e.g. the Esteys used Jeffrey, William Richard (of Norman origin), and Edmund of Anglo-Saxon origin. First names, therefore, are not a useful clue to the Estey genesis but it is interesting to note the complete lack of Italian names .

Early reference is made in England to an Esthy family who lived in Colchester, Essex County about 1300, at the East Hedges. John, who lived at the East Hedges, became John Easthy, later John Easthey (See Colchester Red Book, Gurney). In the Subsidy Return of 1327 for Berghholt, Suffolk (Villat De Bergholte) Johanne Est was taxed 2 shillings 6 pence.
The name Atte Esthey or de Esthy is noted at this time in the Kelvedon, Essex area. Nicholas Esthey was vicar of St. Mary's Dedham, Essex in 1368, thereby preceding Francisco's flight by four generations. Dedham is only 8 miles from Freston/Ipswich/Hintlesham/Woolverstone (Samford Deanery) area, where the yeoman family lived before (and after) the Puritan Migration. Richard (Ricus)Esthey of Kelvedon, Essex County, died there on June 7, 1484, with his will being proved on October 11 of that year (Archdeaconry of Essex). He left his wife, Joan, a son Richard, and two daughters, Joan and Agnes. One Thomas Estey of Alverston, Essex, died on August 26, 1517, leaving a widow, a son William, and other unnamed children. A widow, Agnes Esty, of Southease, Sussex, died there in 1562 (Lewes' Book A - No. 122). Those families later appearing in Kent, Sussex, Suffolk and Cambridge may have come from Essex, for the same given names are used throughout and give a thread of continuity to the procession of generations ( 3 ).
______________________________________________________________________________
1 Rietstaps General Armory -- blue field with gold lions standing on their rear paws facing each other, with a red cross above them.

2 * The name is not included in the 5 volumes of Gipp's Publication of the Suffolk Institute of Archeology nor in P. Reavey's HISTORY OF ENGLISH FAMILY NAMES. In Robert Surtee's HISTORY OF DURHAM, London, 1840, an Este pedigree is noted and the statement made that George III was a descendant. From C.G. Leland's ETRUSCAN MAGIC AND OCCULT REMEDIES - Esta, connected with light. Greek Dictionary - ESTIA = hearth, fireside, altar. If the name is of Saxon origin, its derivation as follows is suggested: EAST = Esth, Island = Eye.

Burke's GENERAL ARMORY - Estee or Estele (Leicestershire) - a red lyon (rearing) on a silver shield with a silver cinquefoil on its shoulder.

The material marked (*) and the reference to Nicholas Esthey on page 3 supplied by Mrs. Julia Cooley Altrocchi.

3 Mildred Campbell - ENGLISH YEOMAN, page 267, cites an Este viz. Thomas East's (Este) - THE PASSIONS OF THE SPIRIT, 1594. ";