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Archiver > FEATHERSTONE > 2000-08 > 0967242813


From: "Paul Featherstone" <>
Subject: RE: [FEATHERSTONE] Featherstonehaugh Surname Finding
Date: Fri, 25 Aug 2000 23:33:33 +0100
In-Reply-To: <a.180a395.26d7e284@aol.com>


If you lived in the north of England the surname is never pronounced
Fanshaw- it might be in the south of the country- but there is a specific
surname "Fanshaw"

There are many stories about the origin of the surname and this is a new one
on me, The place near Haltwhistle is called Featherstone and not
Featherstonehaugh- well it is back into the 17th century.

The recent book by Australian writer Tess De Araugo "Dear Feathers" mentions
a Saxon cheiftain Frithelstan- so that might be a better bet, The word
"haugh" is a name used in the north meaning side of a hill/valley, The story
about the addition of the "haugh" to the end of the name, was that part of
the family moved down, to the side of the valley and built a new
fortification, so to distinguish one family from the other the Haugh was
added to the family living on the side of the valley.

Paul

-----Original Message-----
From: [mailto:]
Sent: Friday, August 25, 2000 03:54
To:
Subject: [FEATHERSTONE] Featherstonehaugh Surname Finding


Surnames of North Eastern England, extracted from
http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/north_east_england_history_page/SUR
NA
MES.htm

FEATHERSTONEHAUGH

This is a very long surname, which fools many, who try to pronounce every
syllable. It should be pronounced Fanshaw. The surname derives from a
place
called Featherstonehaugh near Haltwhistle in Northumberland. If we take the
name to pieces it means "the meadow near the feather shaped stone." One
famous owner of this seventeen letter surname was ALBANY FEATHERSTONEHAUGH,
a
sixteenth century High Sheriff of Northumberland, who was murdered by a band
of notorious Tynedale thieves, called the Ridleys and Thirlwalls. The
murder
is commemorated in a ballad written by the Victorian historian of County
Durham, Robert Surtees, who wrote -

Hoot awa' lads, hoot awa'.
Ha' ye heard how the Ridleys and Thirlwalls and
a' had set upon Albany Featherstonehaugh
And taken his life at the Deadmanshaw.
There was Williemontswick and Hardriding Dick and Hughie o' Hawden and
Will o' the wa' I canno tell a' I canno tell a',
There was many a mair that the Devil may know.

The verse fooled Sir Walter Scott, who thought it was a genuine ancient
ballad. The Thirlwall family mentioned in the ballad were also of local
origin. They originated from Thirlwall on Hadrian's Wall, where Picts are
said to have thirled or destroyed the Roman defences. This surname is also
spelt Thirlwell.

Darlene Featherstone Lankford


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