The York Family
ORIGIN OF THE YORK
SURNAME:
It is generally agreed that York is a location surname, i.e. those with the
York name have ancestors that hailed from the area of York, England (now the
United Kingdom). In early times, York was settled by the Brigantes, a
tribe of Britons, at the junction of the Ouse and Foss Rivers. Later it
was occupied by the Romans, who named it Eboracum (from which it gets its modern
name) and made it the military capital of all of Rome's British
possessions. The town was made the capital of the Angle kingdom of
Northumbria in the seventh century, B.C. Around 624 it became an
archiespiscopal see. The archbishop of York ranks second only to the
archbishop of Canterbury in the Church of England. The Cathedral of St.
Peter, or York Minster, is the most famous architectural landmark of the
city. In the eighth century, B.C., York was renowned as a center of
learning. It was a kingdom under the Danes and later a vassal state of the
West Saxons. It was burned by William the Conqueror in 1068; the remains
of Clifford's Tower, a castle built that same year by William, can be seen
today. During the middle ages, the city was a commercial center and
Parliament occasionally met there. Today it is a parliamentary and county
borough, and administrative center of Yorkshire. (Source: Funk &
Wagnalls Standard Reference Encyclopedia, Vol. 25 [Wash - Zyri], © 1960 by
Wilfred Funk, Inc.)
I am currently awaiting permission from a photographer, John Potter, to publish one of his copyrighted photos of York Minster to this website. He has some fabulous photos of the City of York and Yorkshire in general. To view these, you can visit his website.
MY YORK ANCESTORS:
It is unknown when my York ancestors emigrated from England to North
America. It is likely they first settled in what is now New England in the
United States, or perhaps what is now Canada. At any rate, my first
definitive York ancestor was Jeremiah F. York, I (1794 - 1876), a veteran of the
War of 1812. He is believed to be a son of Stephen York and Amy Franklin,
but no evidence has been found to prove this theory. From the table below,
you can choose to read an AnceStory of Jeremiah, or learn more about his
probable father Stephen York, some possible siblings, and the family legend of
being related to Benjamin Franklin, founding father of the United States (which
is very likely untrue).
The table begins with my great-grandfather, Howard Merkel York, and proceeds
back through the generations.
Howard
Merkel York |
James
L. York |
John
H. York |
Jeremiah
F. York, I |
Stephen
York |
DIANE'S YORK ANCESTORS
My sister-in-law Diane (Ludke) Midkiff, also has York ancestry. Her
York ancestors appear to have settled in Maryland after emigrating
from England. In the 1730s, they began a migration that started in North Carolina
and led to Tennessee and Alabama. During the Civil War, the family's Union sympathies caused them
to be evacuated under Federal escort to Indiana. After attempting to
return to Alabama after the War, the family settled in Missouri for a time, then emigrated
west to pioneer in what was then Washington Territory. Seven generations
of York descendants have made Washington State their home. The table below
begins with Diane's great-great-grandmother, Mary Elizabeth (York) Behrens, the
last of Diane's ancestors to bear the York surname, and proceeds back in time to
the earliest of her known York ancestors.
Mary
Elizabeth York |
Caswell
C. York |
Enoch
York |
Seymore
York, II. |
Seymore
York, I |
Jeremiah
York, I |
Looking for information on a different York than those listed above? Do a search on my online database at WorldConnect, or contact Diane or myself for more information.
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