Rayne, Raine, Reyn etc of Shipley, Marwood Hagg and Thringarth

[skida]

I have inherited a rather extensive family tree compiled by my grandfather (Robert Rayne) and his cousin (Alfred R Green) in the early 20th century, and at the top of the tree is "Nicholas Reyne, Keeper of Marwood Hagg or Chase. Born 1497. Supposed son of George Reyne of Thringarth". I have been able to confirm most of the entries and even correct a mistake on one branch, so I consider myself lucky that my GF did all this work, but I am intrigued about George. I wonder if any of the knowledgeable people here can suggest any way to confirm the existence of George in Thringarth, probably a farmer because his sons were all farmers.

Members of my family convinced themselves that we are descended from the Lord of the Manor who either took his name from, or gave it to, the town of Rayne in Essex, but I realise that trying to work forward from an individual is likely to end in disappointment. There is one coincidence, though: The Essex Raynes ended up in a place or house called "Sweet Shipley" in Northants (I think), and the farm Nicholas and his descendents lived in was "Shipley" near Egglestone (now High Shipley).

[Jolly Roger]

Well looking on the Durham Records office site, the earliest church baptisms is not as far back as the 1400's so finding out about George is I think going to be difficult and your GF has done exceptionally well to get back that far.

I also have Raines from That area including many many other people and we find it very difficult to go backwards never mind forwards as there are many many raines, Dents etc and all inter mixed down the line.


As for Shipley, been in other parts of the country well there are many and we also havre to remember that travel was different in those times so did the family go south which I have found is unussual as there mostly travel north to find work.

Sorry I cannot help you in your quest so good looking.

JR

[skida]

Thanks for the reply. I suspected that George was going to be my "dead-end". The only hope I have is to maybe track down wills and court records as I believe they were all property owners/yeomen farmers. I have been able to find my way round birth, baptism and death records but I am a novice when it comes to "legal" documents.

It amazes me that my GF and his cousin compiled so much when transport in the early 20th was much more difficult than now. I have one of his notebooks and there are notes from gravestones, sections copied from parish records etc. plus I have copies of legal searches they must have paid for. An amazing piece of work!

The Essex and Northants Raynes pre-date the Yorkshire/Durham Raynes, so if there is a connection it is evidence of a drift Northwards. The properties I have been able to identify as connected with my Raynes are Shipley, Roger Moor Farm, Moorey Lea, Snow Hall (Gainford) and Newton Cap Flatts Farm (Bishop Auckland).

The (High) Shipley Raynes were in positions appointed by the Crown, such as "Keeper of Marwood Hagg" (a deer park of the crown) and "Keeper of the King's Buck Hounds".

If anyone thinks they have a connection I am happy to share information.

[skida]

Just another thought:

I know that the number of properties in the area of Thringarth is very low and I know of one that was actually owned by a Rayne, so does anyone know if it is easy (or even possible) to track back through the ownership of a specific property? I am sure I saw this tactic mentioned in a Family History publication, some time back, but didn't really take it in.

[Geordie Mag]

I thought that this website might be of interest to you - a mixture of photos, personal memories and general information about Lunedale, so there might be something about Thringarth.
http://www.lunedaleheritage.org.uk/
There are 2 books of photos and memories of Lunedale and I can't remember their titles. We bought the 2nd volume a few months ago in Middleton newsagents and now I can't remember where we put it. (We have a lot of -too many?-  books) I had a feeling that there might be something about Thringarth in there.
When I find the book, I'll get in touch if it has anything of interest to you.

When we first moved to this street over 30 years ago there was a  Mr Raine who came from Thringarth originally and when he died he was buried at Laithkirk.

[skida]

Thanks for the link Geordie Mag. I have had an initial look and there are lots of references to Raines. More reading will follow.

[Geordie Mag]

Glad it was of interest. Still haven't found that book!
Looking at your other idea - about tracing families through the house - one problem is that in the dales the people living in the house were often not the owner, so in tithe records you get "owned by George Alderson, occupied by James Mudd". The other thing to remember is that most farms were built from the 17th century onwards, because up to that time conditions were too unsettled for people to invest a lot of money and time in buildings. You never knew when them pesky Scots were going to roll over the hills!

[mwr]

Hi,

I believe we have a copy of the same pedigree starting with George Rayne of Thringarth.

I think a lot of the information on the pedigree was originally discovered by T.W.Marley.

I believe Sweet Shipley was an name of somewhere in Marwood Hagg. The Durham Records Office has a map of Sweet Shipley. The same name appears on a photographic copy of an old coat of arms we have that came from the house of Emma Rayne (who sold High Shipley to the Bowes family).  The arms claim descent from the Reynes of Clifton, but that was probably wishful thinking. T.W.Marley obtained the original painting of the arms from Canon Raine.

Regards,

mwr

[skida]

Yes, I am aware that my grandfather, Robert Rayne and his cousin Alfred R Green, drew a lot of information from T W Marley. All three of them appear on branches of the family tree.

Sweet Shipley, I believe, was the name of the house of the Reynes, at the place called Clifton Reynes (now within Milton Keynes). This family is also connected with a place, or house called "Merwood", another one of those annoying coincidences as that is very similar to "Marwood".

All of these "coincidences" lead me to the possibilty that the Lunedale, Teesdale and Langleydale Raynes/Raines are descended from the Clifton Reynes, though proof will be hard to come by.

Thanks for the reply, mwr, and if you would like to compare notes feel free to pm me.