I am researching my direct paternal line. I have got back to John Heyworth b 1695. He was married to Mary Walker c1722 and they lived at Stang Top Barley. I believe his father was NIcholas who came from Hardhill Clitheroe. One of the difficulties is that Heyworths prior to about 1850 were referred to in the Newchurch In Pendle parish records of St Marys under various spellings Haworth, Hewerth and Heworth. I have reached a brick wall with Nicholas although I have not yet examined Clitheroe parish records
The DNA of the my Heyworth paternal line is pure "Celtic" going back to DNA found in Wales 6000 years ago. Heyworth is a saxon sounding name and I wonder whether or not the name is an anglised version of the Welsh surname Iorwerth. I believe in Wales this name is pronounced Yourwerth. However it would be pronouced by an English speaker in a manner not too far away from sounding like Heyworth ( especially as Lancastrians tended to drop the "H")
As a child I was told that there are many Heyworths in Rossendale Valley by virtue of the fact that William Heyworth Bishop of Lichfield c1447 appointed a relative to a position in Rossendale which was then in the diocese of Lichfield. Google searches of Willliam do not reveal any information about his family back ground.
I do not know if this is just a myth. Can anyone assist with any clarification of these points
