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Since the society was launched 25 years ago a Journal called ' POINTS EAST ' which contains many interesting facts, information and articles has been produced twice yearly.
As the Society Celebrates 25 years this year We have decided to reproduce some articles from the early journals. They will appear here on the home page and will then move to the new 'from 25 years ago....' page.
Previous articles from the archives have been moved to the 'from 25 years ago....' page.
'The Story of Martha East'
AS TOLD BY HER SON JAMES
From an article by Margaret Lake
AS TOLD BY HER SON JAMES
From an article by Margaret Lake
My mothers previous history is one of no ordinary kind and I feel a degree of pleasure in recording same and her many virtues.
Although possesed of an 'iron will' she was most faithful to her trust and duty to her children. I have never heard of one more so.
As Martha East of Brackley in the county of Northamptonshire, in her youth she was the toast of the neighbourhood. Her parents were children of farmers in Oxfordshire and in the said country, my grandfather East, being born at Doddington and my grandmother, Wyatt at Newbottle, held a large farm under the Cartwrights of Aynho, a family of great note in the county. I was told the family had been tenants on the same farm for 200 years, originally holding a free hold farm at Cropredy in the same county, dating as far back as records show, to the reign of charles the1st. They were Royalists and loyal to the spinal marrow. One of the Roundheads committed himself in his attention when they were deemed an insult. One of the sons cut him down with a spade and buried him in the hemp plot.
It is recorded that this land is still in the family rented for over 60 years to a Quaker family, as tenants of my mother and younger brother.
The Wyatts of Newbotttle were a well-to-do family a century and a half back. When dying he left his daughters, 5 in number, £1000 each which was more than equal to 10 times that amount in these times. A son of this wealthy Yeoman was my grandfather, his daughter Mary married a farmer Robert East, though it was a stolen love match and when it became known the old people were so indignant that they turned them out of doors. It was very cruel but perhaps the best thing that could of happened for they were devotedly attached and self reliant.
I have heard that they took a small thatched cottage in the neighbourhood of Whittlesey Forest, hardly habitable, that they had to sling the kettle over the fire, my poor grandfather had the baby tossed into his arms as she tried to make things
somewhat available. This baby was my mother Martha, their first child. The old lady I remember well, she was a grand woman, dying since my advent in the south aged 96.
For many years their life was one of almost want, but they never gave in. Having obtained work in the neighbourhood, Robert managed to hold his own and after a while with the assistance of a friend who knew his worth, they took a country Inn, 'The Wheatsheaf' at Brackley. Some years later he purchased the freehold, husbanding his savings, he was deternined to retrieve the whole and after many years he managed to accomplish it. Then working as a labourer and a carter he carried every brick that was used in its construction. Prior to taking this house after his marriage, he worked for a shilling a day and was very glad of it. He was a painstaking self reliant man and could turn his hand to anything, nothing daunted him and was ably accorded in all things by his wife, who was for her position, a glamourous woman.
They reared a large family of 13 and brought them up as decently as they could under those circumstances. They had little or no education, save what they could pick up at the parish school.
Although possesed of an 'iron will' she was most faithful to her trust and duty to her children. I have never heard of one more so.
As Martha East of Brackley in the county of Northamptonshire, in her youth she was the toast of the neighbourhood. Her parents were children of farmers in Oxfordshire and in the said country, my grandfather East, being born at Doddington and my grandmother, Wyatt at Newbottle, held a large farm under the Cartwrights of Aynho, a family of great note in the county. I was told the family had been tenants on the same farm for 200 years, originally holding a free hold farm at Cropredy in the same county, dating as far back as records show, to the reign of charles the1st. They were Royalists and loyal to the spinal marrow. One of the Roundheads committed himself in his attention when they were deemed an insult. One of the sons cut him down with a spade and buried him in the hemp plot.
It is recorded that this land is still in the family rented for over 60 years to a Quaker family, as tenants of my mother and younger brother.
The Wyatts of Newbotttle were a well-to-do family a century and a half back. When dying he left his daughters, 5 in number, £1000 each which was more than equal to 10 times that amount in these times. A son of this wealthy Yeoman was my grandfather, his daughter Mary married a farmer Robert East, though it was a stolen love match and when it became known the old people were so indignant that they turned them out of doors. It was very cruel but perhaps the best thing that could of happened for they were devotedly attached and self reliant.
I have heard that they took a small thatched cottage in the neighbourhood of Whittlesey Forest, hardly habitable, that they had to sling the kettle over the fire, my poor grandfather had the baby tossed into his arms as she tried to make things
somewhat available. This baby was my mother Martha, their first child. The old lady I remember well, she was a grand woman, dying since my advent in the south aged 96.
For many years their life was one of almost want, but they never gave in. Having obtained work in the neighbourhood, Robert managed to hold his own and after a while with the assistance of a friend who knew his worth, they took a country Inn, 'The Wheatsheaf' at Brackley. Some years later he purchased the freehold, husbanding his savings, he was deternined to retrieve the whole and after many years he managed to accomplish it. Then working as a labourer and a carter he carried every brick that was used in its construction. Prior to taking this house after his marriage, he worked for a shilling a day and was very glad of it. He was a painstaking self reliant man and could turn his hand to anything, nothing daunted him and was ably accorded in all things by his wife, who was for her position, a glamourous woman.
They reared a large family of 13 and brought them up as decently as they could under those circumstances. They had little or no education, save what they could pick up at the parish school.
Things were very different to the position at the latter end of the century, one that in bother my grandmother and her daughter comes out very prominent. Martha East was then a girl of about 12 and it was customary for the young and old to wear pockets and it was the desire of my mother to be in the fashion and she plied her mother to purchase half a yard of printed dimity to make them. The answer of the moment was 'Da Ratty', a phrase in those days softened down from 'God Rot You' ' Don't you see your brothers without shoes or stockings, How can you ask me this ?'
This was quite enough to still Matty. She was not to be without her pockets and she implored some of her aquaintances to save her the sweepings of the workroom at Mantua Makers and with the clippings obtained she managed to neatly put them together as a patch work, Her mother when this was aquired managed to buy her sufficient coarse calico for a lining, which pleased her very much and was ultimately the foundation for her future fortune, although she did not own a farthing in the world, so I am satisfied that it was her pockets that got her a husband.
This was quite enough to still Matty. She was not to be without her pockets and she implored some of her aquaintances to save her the sweepings of the workroom at Mantua Makers and with the clippings obtained she managed to neatly put them together as a patch work, Her mother when this was aquired managed to buy her sufficient coarse calico for a lining, which pleased her very much and was ultimately the foundation for her future fortune, although she did not own a farthing in the world, so I am satisfied that it was her pockets that got her a husband.
As they all grew up the children all went to service and they have done wonderfully and my mother was not an exception. She was much respected, never gave herself airs, although as I have previously stated she was the pride of the neighbourhood and had many offers of marriage, keeping for years to her first love. When about 24 she was jilted by her first lover, Matty did not fret. she thought there was as good in the sea as had previously been netted. When nearly 26 years old news came from London, where she had 2 brothers in service, that one was taken with small pox and requesting if they could send someone to nurse him. In those days the disease was much dreaded but she knew no fear - made up her bundle and started to overtake the weekly wagon which had started the previous day early, then to get a lift to the great city where she arrived in due course. she then came to my grandfathers house and was shut up with her brother who was in the meantime progressing towards convalescence. After a while she was allowed to go down and take her meals with the servants and of course was much admired by the masculine portion of the household but with great jealousy on the part of the women who tried to make her position more uncomfortable, but the master's son, my father William Wood, took notice of her. He was a widower of the same age as herself. This riled the other girls but she heeded not. The old lady, my grandmother Jane Wood, a suspicious old woman ready to protect her son, noticed her son's attraction to the fair damsel and one day while she was down taking her meal, opened and examined the girls bundle and therein were the pockets, made some 14 years previously. She was so struck by the evident assurance of her industry, that she carried them down before replacing them to my father who was at home with the old gent and throwing them onto the table said 'There William, thats a wife for you'. He with this encouragement made opportunity to speak to her ... and proposed, the old lady coming forward at the time and backing him up. Not being engaged and it being a match far beyond her expectations said she would not mind if her mother and father were agreeable. To obtain their consent they took her down with post horses and obtained their consent and fixed the day a month later. The old people were at the fore and being of considerable means, insisted on paying all expenses and gave a grand spread in the town hall, to which were invited all of note in the neighbourhood.
It so happened that an officer who was marching with a portion of his regiment across the country, was billeted in the town. He was invited to the spread and danced with the bride in the evening. He afterwards became a man of great note - it was either Moore of Corruna or Picton of Waterloo, I forget which but it is mentioned in his memoirs. My mother's life after this was a great change for the better and on the whole, to the death of my father in 1815, was a fruitful and happy one.
It so happened that an officer who was marching with a portion of his regiment across the country, was billeted in the town. He was invited to the spread and danced with the bride in the evening. He afterwards became a man of great note - it was either Moore of Corruna or Picton of Waterloo, I forget which but it is mentioned in his memoirs. My mother's life after this was a great change for the better and on the whole, to the death of my father in 1815, was a fruitful and happy one.
COMING SOON : Another article
' The Estes of Radnage & their descendants'
Radnage, Bucks. is a tiny village just inside the county boundary with Oxfordshire, about ten miles north west of High Wycombe. It is well worthwhile making a visit to the parish church, as we did one fine summer day. The lanes are extremely narrow, but navigable with care.
The church contains a fine memorial to an East whose family put its stamp on the area over many centuries. This was William, Gentleman, whose wife Sybil bore him thirteen children. They are all depicted in a set of brasses, now mounted on the wall near the pulpit. She had the memorial placed over his tomb, and some wear took place over the years that followed, before it was moved and placed in its present position.
The arms of this particular family probably go back to 1515, and the family must have been in good standing to have been granted them in the first place. A visitation by Heralds in 1560 confirmed the right to the Arms and a crest was granted. In a manuscript of 1574 relating to the visitation, the Arms and Crest were sketched ( or 'tricked' ).
Eleven descendants and five today are known. Some of the sons of William whose marriage details are not known, may have passed the name on, and we hope that eventually yet more 20th century descendants of this family may come to light.
The church contains a fine memorial to an East whose family put its stamp on the area over many centuries. This was William, Gentleman, whose wife Sybil bore him thirteen children. They are all depicted in a set of brasses, now mounted on the wall near the pulpit. She had the memorial placed over his tomb, and some wear took place over the years that followed, before it was moved and placed in its present position.
The arms of this particular family probably go back to 1515, and the family must have been in good standing to have been granted them in the first place. A visitation by Heralds in 1560 confirmed the right to the Arms and a crest was granted. In a manuscript of 1574 relating to the visitation, the Arms and Crest were sketched ( or 'tricked' ).
Eleven descendants and five today are known. Some of the sons of William whose marriage details are not known, may have passed the name on, and we hope that eventually yet more 20th century descendants of this family may come to light.
The Founders Award
In Memory of John & Andrée East
In Memory of John & Andrée East
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An annual prize of £50 will be awarded to the member who submits the most interesting article for publication in the Points East Journal
The 2020competition closes on the 1st August 2020 so please send articles for consideration to our Journal Editor. The Journal Editor needs more articles so please put pen to paper or hit the keys ! and send articles that can be published in the Journal 
to contact our Journal Editor
Amanda |
£50
CASH PRIZE |
The winner of the £50 cash prize for the best article submitted for publication in the journal during 2019 is ' My East family at war' by Valerie Molyneaux .
Click above on the
WINNER icon to read the 2017 winning article Life in Water by Deryck A East |
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Write an article telling us your story and you could be the winner of the 2018 cash prize
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The EAST Family history society was launched in 1993, to bring together people researching ancestors with the name EAST and to build a database of family tree's for EAST families worldwide.
In addition to the name EAST, we also research variants of the name such as EASTE, EASTES, EST, ESTE, & ESTES.
In addition to the name EAST, we also research variants of the name such as EASTE, EASTES, EST, ESTE, & ESTES.
In 2013 the EAST Family History Society celebrated 20 years of helping people worldwide to research their EAST ancestors.
Could we help you?
Could we help you?
Please consider joining the East Family History Society as the very small membership fee helps us to provide this website and maintain the society.
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Membership of the Society is open to anyone with an interest in the surname EAST or its variants.
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Even as a non-member you can have the complete EAST Births database free
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Can you help us ?
Our aim is to compile a database of all East family trees. If you have traced your EAST family tree, please let us know the details of the earliest EAST ancestor that you have found - you may be able to help us record a new family line that we don't yet know about ! |
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In England EASTS have been traced right back to the arrival of the Normans.
The EAST FAMILY HISTORY SOCIETY, was founded in England and has helped many members to trace their ancestors back to the 16th century. Some of these members live in Australia and we are sure that many EASTS living in America can also be traced back to these times. |
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Information from the Society's database is
provided to Society members and to the public. Research assistance can also be provided. Look at the database page for details of the information we have available to members. |
We are Looking for information on John Alger East or his family, Can you Help ?
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This painting of an unknown man by an unknown artist is believed to be Captain James Cook. The painting is now owned by the National Portrait Gallery in London. It was bought in 1905 from J. A. East.
John Alger East appears in the 1911 census as an Artist living in Hackney, London. Could he be the painter ? Was he the J. A. East who sold the painting ? John was married to Mary C Worth in 1843, who in the 1871 census was also recorded as an Artist. But John also had an Artistic family - His father was Henry Matthew East was a Picture Dealer in Hackney in the 1871 Census. Laura East & Gilbert East were siblings of John who became Sculptors. |
The portrait can be viewed online at : http://www.npg.org.uk/collections/search/portrait/mw08900/Unknown-man-formerly-known-as-James-Cook?
Does anyone have information on Silversmith John East ?
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This Queen Anne Silver Porringer, described as 'Rare' was made by John East in 1711 and recently listed for sale on Ebay for £990 or $1223
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This Queen Anne Silver Feeding Cup was made by John East in 1712. recently offered for sale in the United States, it was described as 'Extremely Rare' and was priced at $9,850 or £7973.
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This is the assay mark of John East which was registered in 1697 and has been seen on silverware pieces dated between 1701 and 1722
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Its a Double Mystery !
Can you help us ?
Can you help us ?
Our Society Chairman Ros and her husband David recently visited the World War Battlefields & Memorials in Northern France. While visiting the Thiepval Memorial where 72,191 missing soldiers with no known graves are listed, they noticed an inscription for “East J “ a member of the Durham Light Infantry.
Our former Research Manager Anne, found that the soldier was 28 year old Captain John East of the 15th Battalion, Durham Light Infantry, who died on the 1st July 1916. He was the son of John East from Auckland, New Zealand and husband of Marguerite East (nee Jacquet), of 33, Hatherley Rd., Sidcup, Kent.
We currently have no details of this family tree in our records but we would love to know more about this family. If anyone visiting the site has any information about Captain John, his father or any relatives in the UK or New Zealand, please let us know.
We currently have no details of this family tree in our records but we would love to know more about this family. If anyone visiting the site has any information about Captain John, his father or any relatives in the UK or New Zealand, please let us know.
We were also contacted by the Llandiloes community project who asked if we knew anything about H.H. East who is recorded on the towns WW1 war memorial. Harold Henry was recorded as having been born in 1885 and he died age 32 on the 6th November 1917. He was a Private in the 1st/1st Bn. Herefordshire Regiment. His parents were Edwin and Laura East, of Newport & his wife was Edith Emily East, of "Dyfnant," Queen's Terrace, Aberystwyth. Harold's grandfather was Job Dawson EAST born in Reading about 1827 but moved to Wales by 1861, where he worked on the railway.
Unfortunately although Harold came from a fairly large family, we do not have his family or his immediate ancestors in our trees. Can anyone tell us anymore about this family ?
Unfortunately although Harold came from a fairly large family, we do not have his family or his immediate ancestors in our trees. Can anyone tell us anymore about this family ?
WE HAD AN 'EAST' ON THE UK 'X FACTOR'
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Fleur is a very talented 26 year old singer/songwriter from Walthamstow in East London who came 2nd in the 2014 competition. She became the show's first contestant to reach number one on the UK iTunes Store chart during the competition, with her performance of "Uptown Funk".
!n 2015 She was signed by Simon Cowells Syco record label and released a full-length debut album, Love, Sax and Flashbacks with lead single 'SAX' reaching no 3 in the UK charts. It also became an international hit in the Netherlands, Australia, Mexico, Costa Rica, Hungary and Croatia. Fleur's career has gone 'international' after she was signed by Sony's Columbia Records, performed in the USA on the season finale of Dancing with the Stars and appeared on the Today show & James Cordens Late Late Show. She is one of The X Factor's biggest breakout acts. She performed on The X Factor Tour 2015 & her own 'Sax' Tour this year, has produced a second single "More and More", performed at the National Television Awards, Blackpool Illuminations, Pride Festivals at Brighton, Manchester & Birmingham and Girl Guiding UK's BIG GIG at Wembley to name but a few. Fleur East has also teamed up with British dress company Lipsy (London) for the launch of her first fashion collection. We continue to watch with interest and congratulate Fleur on her fantastic success to date and we remain sure that there is still a lot more to come from her in the future. |
Music Thanks to Moodmixes.com