All of my maternal family tree is English, whilst my paternal family tree is all Irish. I am just as proud to have English blood as I do Irish and as it is St George’s Day, I thought I’d write a relevant blog post. As I could pick any of my maternal ancestors, I thought I’d keep with the theme, and introduce some of the actual knights in my family tree that I’ve recently learnt more about. None of them fought any dragons, sadly.
Most of my family were farmers, coal miners or labourers. Not that their stories are any less interesting, but one branch of my family came from a line of aristocrats and landed gentry. Before censuses and civil registration, these families were much easier traced than “commoners” as their lineages were recorded in publications such as Burke’s Landed Gentry.
My 5th great-grandmother was Elizabeth Forster. She was descended from the Forster family of Bamburgh Castle in Northumberland. Her own 4th great-grandfather (my 11th great-grandfather), Sir Nicholas Forster, was born in 1545 in Bamburgh. Nicholas was the High Sheriff of Northumberland in 1602, and he was knighted by Elizabeth I in 1603. Nicholas’ parents were Sir John Forster and Jane Radcliffe (daughter of Cuthbert Radcliffe). He married his cousin, Jane Radcliffe (grandaughter of Cuthbert Radcliffe).
Some sources say that Sir John Forster was born in 1501 or 1502, but it more likely he was born around 1520. He was son of Sir Thomas Forster of Etherstone and Dorothy Ogle. He trained from a young age in border warfare.
- In 1542 he was put in command of Harbottle Castle with a garrison of a hundred men.
- He fought in a number of battles including the Battle of Solway Moss in 1542, and the Battle of Pinkie Cleugh in 1547.
- He was knighted in 1547.
- He was made Sheriff of Northumberland in 1549.
- In 1560, he was appointed the Warden of the Middle Marches. The marches were the areas either side of the England and Scotland border, and it was the Warden’s responsibility for the security of the border between the two nations, and often took part in military action.
- In 1572 he was ordered to have the Earl of Northumberland executed.
- In 1575 he was captured during a border fray and taken to Jedburgh. He was to meet the Scottish Warden, and make truce, but the meeting turned into the Raid of the Redeswire, and he was defeated and captured, his lieutenant killed. He was immediately released by the Scottish regent.
- In 1585, John and his son-in-law, Sir Francis Russell (the husband of his daughter Juliana), were attacked and Russell was killed. John first described it as an accident, but this did not suit the English government, and Russell’s death was represented as the result of a deliberate plot. Various accusations were brought against John; murder, setting thieves free, executions on insufficient grounds, and dealings with Northumberland wreckers. In 1586, John was dismissed from his office, but was restored in 1588. He held the wardenry until 1595, partly due to his old age.
- In 1597 he was nearly surprised at Bamburgh Castle by a party of Scots. He died at Bamburgh in 1602. If some sources are to be believed he was, or nearly was, 100 years old at the time of his death.
Sir John’s ancestry can be traced back to Gilbert de Bucton (born around 1270), the first member of the Forster family to use the surname. Gilbert’s great-great-grandfather was Margaret, an illegitimate daughter of William I of Scotland, also known as William the Lion. If I’m going to keep to the St George’s theme, I really need a connection to an English king, not a Scottish one! William’s 6th great-grandfather was Edmund I of England, who was King of England from 939 to 946. This makes Edmund my 30th great-grandfather.