Re: longworth family history
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In reply to:
Re: longworth family history
LOLA LONGWORTH 8/24/04
Dear Pat....
Sorry, but I'm a little vague on the history of the Longworths in Ireland, although it does appear that the first Longworths in America came from Lancashire via Ireland. The most interesting information on this that I've read is by Clara Longworth de Chambrun, who was the sister of Nicholas Longworth, the speaker of the House, and who did a biography of her brother. She had married a French aristocrat, hence her name, and became related to the Lafayette family. She says the Longworth family name comes from the French name Longue Epee, which she says was a Norman name and hence dates back to the Norman Conquest of 1016. Longue Epee translated into Long Sword, then became corrupted into Longworth. Personally, I always felt this version had more to do with snobbery than scholarship, since it sure beats being descended from a bunch of Lancashire ploughmen, but I've never seen any evidence to back it up, so I take it pretty skeptically.
Clara, however, goes on to cite some documentary evidence for later generations: "The Oxford Chronicle says, 'John Longworth, D.D. of New College (Oxford), son of Lancelot Longworth of Kettelbury, Worcester, was installed prebendary in place of Richard Longworth deceased in 1590, and became later canon of Canterbury and archdeacon of Wells.' Some years after that (Clara goes on) we find Francis Longworth, proprietor of a house near the Globe Theater in London, vainly protesting against the odoriferous nuisance of the neighboring bear-garden. Thus it was, perhaps without regret, that he removed his sensitive nose to a grant in Westmeath, Ireland, where it was the Queen's policy to settle a certain number of English Protestant families to keep order in that 'commonwealth of commonwoe,' as Sir Walter Raleigh named it. From Craggan Castle, a grandson of Francis Longworth, Gent., embarked for the New Jersey settlements and, as King's magistrate, lived at Newark with his wife, Elizabeth Royall, in good credit and repute. Their son, Thomas, married Apphia Davis Van der Poel, and also prospered until the rampant spirit of Seventy-Six began to make existence complicated for all loyalist families, as every British functionary who refused to betray the trust placed in him was declared a 'traitor.'
Clara, despite her links to the Lafayettes, clearly thinks the American Revolution was a bad idea. Nevertheless, this is interesting stuff, and gives us some dates. The Globe was Shakespeare's theater on the South Bank of the Thames, at a time when theaters (and bear-pits) flourished briefly, at the end of the 16th and beginning of the 17th century. This would put the move of Francis to Westmeath, Ireland, at around 1600 or a bit later. Clara says it was Francis' great-grandson who felt afoul of the revolution 1776. Given life spans at the time, I suspect there's a few more generations here. The geneaelogy that my father wrote does not mention Francis, but cites a string of Thomas Longworths, all born in America. The first Thomas (possibly the grandson of Francis) was born in 1692, either in Newark or in Southold, Long Island. His son, Thomas, was born in 1718 and was the ill-fated king's magistrate at Newark. He and his family fled, apparently to New York, but he returned penniless to Newark and died there in 1790. His son, also Thomas, was born in 1745 in Newark, was exiled to New York City and Hartford by the Revolution. He had several children, including Nicholas, who founded the Cincinnati dynasty, and Thomas, who was my direct ancestor: while Nicholas went to Cincinnati to make his fortune, my ancestor (born 1786 in Connecticut), had several children, including Frederick (born 1821) who bounced around a bit and then settled on what is probably the only bad piece of farmland in Iowa.
This is probably more than you wanted, but hope it makes some sense. I'd really be interested to learn any other information you've dug up.
Best wishes....dick longworth
More Replies:
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Re: longworth family history
vera longworth 8/29/04
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The ..almost.. last remaining 'Dames-Longworth'!
pippa Dames-Longworth 8/19/06
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Re: The ..almost.. last remaining 'Dames-Longworth'!
vera longworth 8/20/06
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Re: The ..almost.. last remaining 'Dames-Longworth'!
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The ..almost.. last remaining 'Dames-Longworth'!