The Aynsley Family and a rather "Grey" area

Introduction

As many of my regular readers are aware, my introduction to family history came at an early age when I was presented with a beautifully handwritten copy of the family tree.  It was given to the family by Philip Aynsley-Smith my grandfather’s cousin during one of his visits to Northumberland.  The tree was the result of many years of painstaking research carried out by his father George, which as I am sure you can image, generated a mountain of supporting documentation.

George Aynsley-Smith circa 1890 Compiler of the Family Tree

Earlier this month I was lucky enough to become the custodian of part of this wonderful collection when it was passed to me by second cousin Viv, one of George’s granddaughters,  whom until this moment I had never met, and can now honestly say, I wish didn’t live so far away! 
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The collection contains some amazing information, the mystery of a disappearing skeleton, a case of English cholera, and the poor unfortunate chap who met his end when a hen collided with his bicycle!  It also contains numerous letters exchanged between George Aynsley-Smith and George Grey-Butler, son of Josephine Butler in the quest to resolve the “Grey” areas of the family’s mutual pedigree.  These letters amongst other documents highlighted my total lack of familiarity concerning the Aynsley family, so this month I have decided to introduce you to them through the notes on the family written by George himself, with a foreword written by his son Philip.

Foreword by Philip Aynsley-Smith 1907-1997

"These notes on family history were probably written by my father in 1940. Certain omissions and queries in the original manuscript clearly suggest that he was writing from memory and without access to .the information he had himself assembled over the years. This suggests in turn that in turn the notes must have been written in the months after he and my mother had left their flat in Lissenden Mansions, Highgate (following the outbreak of war). Their furniture and effects were put into store, where they remained until late in 1940, when my parents moved into Westcroft, Norham-on-Tweed.  It was at this time that my father's health was begin­ning to fail (though, characteristically, he said nothing of this to his family) and he tired more easily.

Perhaps this explains why, for instance, his account of the complex Grey connection under the Aynsley section seems to lack clarity. My impression is that by the time he had reached this stage in his narrative he was wanting to bring it to a conclusion as quickly as possible. Had he been in better health and, possibly, had he been prompted (for he was a reticent man), he could undoubtedly have said so much more.  He does not mention, for example, that his mother Hannah Aynsley and her sister Mary were strikingly beautiful as young women and were known locally as "The Flowers of Coquetdale. Not important, perhaps, but a charming legend and worth preserving.

The letter which has survived from my great uncle George to his sister Jane, written in the year of Queen Victoria's accession, illustrates admirably the friendly relations between the Trotters and the Smiths.

Lastly, I have taken it upon myself to correct one or two small slips that I happen to have noticed in transcribing the notes."
 
Westleton February 1986

PHILIP AYNSLEY SMITH

The "Flowers of Coquetdale"

Hannah Aynsley (Smith)

Mary Aynsley (Chrisp)

Notes on the Aynsley Pedigree
​by George Aynsley-Smith 1866-1942

"On my mother's side we are descended from an ancient race of Border farmers living in the parish of Longhorsley, who were, at the date of the commencement of the pedigree (1706), occupy­ing the farms of Haredean, Harelaw and Smallburn, at the latter of which places I believe my great great great grandfather Lionel Aynsley was born in 1739.   Distant branches of the family still survive as farmers at The Lee and Butterknowes in the parish of Rothbury, but I have never met any of them, the relationship now being very distant.   Lionel Aynsley's social status was probably improved by his  marriage to Mary Carnaby (see pedigree) .

John Aynsley of the Chirm 1806 - 1865

I am under the impression the Aynsleys at The Chirm, where they lived, considered themselves to be on a slightly better social footing than other relatives of the name. The Carnabys were an old Roman Catholic family that adhered to the ancient faith long after the Reformation and were probably a cadet branch of the Roman Catholic family at Nubbuck near Hexham, the christian names being the same in both families and both holding the Roman Catholic faith.  The pedigree of the Carnabys of Todburn appears in the new History of Northumberland (Hexham division).    Ralph Carnaby, great grandfather of Mary Carnaby, seems to have been a staunch Roman Catholic as he was several times imprisoned for his faith and his name appears in local records for not complying with the civil and religious requirements of his age, such as attendance at church and partaking of the Sacrament - a man to be proud of for holding so tenaciously to his convictions.

I have never been able to ascertain the name of his wife, or her place of burial, and the reason is obvious for, being a strict Catholic, he would naturally refuse to avail himself of the services of the established clergy and the rites of burial and baptism would be performed by a priest of his own church. Ralph Carnaby's son Francis appears to have been a Catholic, but the family of the latter, except his daughter Fortune who married Henry Meanley of Ryton, in the County of Dur­ham, appears to have become members of the Established Church. John Carnaby, a solicitor in Morpeth, was the last survivor in the male line. When he died he left £12,000, mostly to strangers in blood, but my grandfather John Aynsley was the recipient of a legacy of £500.

Carnaby Headstone at Longhorsley

Through Mary Thompson, wife of Francis Aynsley, my great grandfather, we are descended from the Herons (see Heron and Thompson pedigrees) of East Thirston in Felton parish, probably a cadet branch of the family at Bockenfield, Felton (their pedigree is in the new History of Northumberland) themselves a cadet branch of the Herons of Ford Castle.  Authentic evidence does not, however, exist to prove the relationship. Robert Heron, who died in 1633,  and whose will was proved at Durham, appointed Richard Heron of Bockenfield his executor and the names of his children are the same as those of the Bockenfield family.    The earlier generations of the Thirston Herons were buried within the church. It was quite common in ancient times for younger sons of the county gentry to engage in farming, the family estates devolving on the eldest son and there being little personal estate to distribute among younger members of the family.

Thomas Heron of Thirston erected a gallery in Felton church in 1759  which was taken down in 1870 when the church was restored, with the consent of his descendants, two Mr Herons then living at Rothbury, where they died.  A brass tablet in the church records the fact.  The Herons are also extinct in the male line, but the female line is represented by the Tates of Guyzance and Bankhill, Acklington.  Personally, I think the relationship existed but, as mentioned before, cannot be proved.  Mary Thompson was the granddaughter of Jane Heron (daughter of Thomas who erected the gallery) who married William Grey of Burgham, Felton, son of Edward Grey of the same place. An old tradition in the family was that we, as well as the Greys of Milfield, Wooler, were descended from the Greys of Howick through Thomas Grey of Angerton, youngest son of Sir Edward Grey, Constable of Morpeth Castle (died in 1627) who displeased his father by marrying a miller's daughter at Angerton and was left little under his will. The relationship with the Greys of Milfield, and consequently with Augustine Birrell and Josephine Butler, does certainly exist, but the tradition as far as it relates to being descended from Thomas Grey of Angerton fails in strict proof.

Augustine Birrell KC

Augustine Birrell KC (19 January 1850 – 20 November 1933) was an English Liberal Party politician, who was Chief Secretary for Ireland from 1907 to 1916. In this post, he was praised for enabling tenant farmers to own their property, and for extending university education for Catholics. But he was criticised for failing to take action against the rebels before the Easter Rising, and resigned. A barrister by training, he was also an author, noted for humorous essays.
Source Wikipedia​

His Grandfather was Henry Grey who married his first cousin Margaretta Grey, sister of John Grey of Milfield. (Father of Josephine Butler nee Grey)

Thomas Grey of Angerton left two sons, Edward and Thomas. Edward died in 1702 and was buried at Bolam, leaving two sons, whose deaths are recorded in the Burial register, neither of whom left male issue. Thomas lived at Blackheddon and he mar­ried the widow of Henry Paston, but died without leaving issue. Thus if there is any relationship it can only be through the wife of Edward Grey of Burgham, my ancestor, whose marriage I have never been able to trace.  It probably took place about the year 1706 as the first child was baptised at Longframlington, when he was living at Turners Stead.   The marriage of Margaret Grey (born 1715), daughter of Edward Grey, with her cousin John Grey of Longhorsley forms the relationship with the Milfield Greys.  A branch of my mother 's ancestors, the Pringles, I cannot trace.  They first appear as farmers at Fenton, near Wooler, in the middle of the eighteenth century, but where they came from and where they are buried I have never been able to ascertain - probably from Scotland, the name being Scotch, and perhaps a branch of a family at Morebattle, Roxburgh, of that name, some of whom settled in Northumberland.

John Aynsley 1841-1877 and his wife Frances A Bainbridge

Francis Aynsley 1835 - 1908

My mother's brothers, Frank and John Aynsley, both went to America, Frank going about the year 1865 and dying at Tacoma, California, in 1908 and John going in 1877, also to California, where he died the same year. Frank was never married.   John married at St.Edmund's, Gateshead, Frances A. Bainbridge, daughter of Christopher Bainbridge of Lumley Thicks, County of Durham, a barrister whose father was Joseph Bainbridge, a well-known solicitor in Newcastle.    There were no children of the marriage.    After my uncle's death, his widow married a Mr Henry in California and had by him a daughter, Henrietta, who married a Mr Carr and afterwards settled in Canada with their family".

Conclusion

​The above is just an introduction!  There is so much more information accompanied by numerous family trees, which I dare not investigate for fear of becoming thoroughly distracted!  So many new lines to investigate, Heron, Pringle and if you happen to be a Tate from Guyzance, or a Carr in Canada I would love to hear from you. 

The “Grey” area continues to rumble on and myself and Claire Grey of the http://milfieldgreys.co.uk/ are now firmly of the opinion that it will only finally be resolved through DNA, so if you are a direct male descendant of the Earl Grey of Howick line, and would be willing to spit in a tube in the name of science, Claire and I would dearly love to hear from you too!!