Greetings,
The email below is from a researcher who has found a reference to her
family that mentions Fron Goch. She is trying to discover more about O.E.
Ruck, a researcher, who made the statement. As it is secondary info, and I
know that our Evan ap Robert ap Lewis family was at Fron Goch during the
time, O.E. Ruck claims that her Nanny family was, she and I are uncertain
about the reference. It is possible Ruck meant the town, although we don't
yet know exactly when the town came into existence.
Another possibility, which I have suggested to her, is that there was more
than one home on the 500 Acre farm and that her family lived in a different
house.
Regardless, I asked her permission to post this message, in the hopes that
some of you would have heard of the surname in any of the sources you have
viewed in relationship to the farm.
She seems like a great person to have on our list, providing she can
substantiate Ruck's claim.
Opinions?
Thanks,
Emily
Hi, Emily -- > >With regard to the Yanceys, I have copied a bit
of info
from a Yancey I am in >intermittent contact with...it also has the more
complete O.E. Ruck info on >the Fron Goch lead. It's misspellings may have
been the typos of the original >author. > >Hope this doesn't get too
tedious....
>Chris > >
>I found an Archalaeus (?) Yancey once, but this is still a rough
research >file. I don't know if we are connected with them, we just have
the Yancey story with the 4 brothers that seems to be well-known among all
the Nanney and Nanny lines. > >
The following is copied from the compilation of Tempe Hill Carraway
of
Asheville North Carolina. It was written about 1930. Mrs. Carraway had
hired >a
Welsh genealogist by the name of O. E Ruck of Wales to research
the Nanney Family. His report is often known as the Ruck Report.
The compilation by Carraway which includes the Ruck report is titled NANNEY
or YANCEY HISTORY. NANNEY OR YANCEY HISTORY NANNEY OF NANNAU From Cadwgan,
second son of the founder of the tribe, descendant of Nanney of Yorke.
Founder was Bleddyn ap Cynfyn, Prince of Powers from whom the third Royal
tribe of Wales was descended. Howel Selyf or Sele, possessor of Nannau in
the time of Owain Glydwer, was ninth from Bleddyn ap Cynfyn. His
grandfather Ynyr Tychan Jr., son of Ynyr ap Meurig in the Thirty third
regiment of Edward 1st presented a petition to the Prince of Wales, stating
that the king had made him William Rhaglor of the Comen of Tlybont for his
services in taking Modic ap Llywelyn, who in the last war had made himself
Prince of Wales. Petition >not granted as Ynyr could show no Charter to the
Office. When Dwyn (Dwnn) visited Nannau, in 1588, he was head of the family
and signed the pedigree.
His grandson, head of the family was Hugh Nanney, Esq. Sherrif of the
county >in 1627 and 1638. Died 1647. Grandson of Col. Hugh Nanney, M. P.
Col. of >Militia of his County and Vice admiral of North Wales in the last
year of >William III. (Mon. in Llanfachreth Ch.) was last of the line of
Nanney. Married Catherine, daughter of William Vaughn Esq. celebrated
antiquary of Hangwrt. Catherine's oldest son Hugh Vaughn succeeded to the
Nanney estates but died unmarried. His next brother, Robert Howel Vaughn of
Nanney and >Hongwrt was in 1792 Baronet and his son Sir Robert Vaughan,
Bart M. P. of >Nannau, succeeded him. Was 44 years in parliament. Also
father of Griffith ap Howell Vaughn Esq. of Rhug and Hongwrt and Col.
Edward William Vaughn who inherited the Rhung estates and assumed by
license the additional surname of Salesbury and died in 1807. Sir Robert
William Vaughn Esq. 3rd Baronet of Nannau (d.s.p.) [ d.s.p - means died
with out children] died in 1859 and the title became extinct and the
estates were divided. Nannau was left to Hon. Thomas Pryce Lloud for life
and then to John Vaughn Esq. Hongwrt was given to his wife's three sisters
for life, and the great collection of Hongwrt manuscripts to a kinsman, W.
L. Wyne Esq. of Peniarth, Rhug Estates to H. C. H. Wynn. second son of Lord
Newborough. Maesypandy in the parish of Talyllyn now reduced to a
farmstead, was for many ages the seat of a family of note. Llwyn Hughes
Esq. Sherriff of the county of Merioneth, 1582. Lewyn Dwnn paid ten
shillings to the deputy Herald for making out the pedigree. They traced
their lineage from Einion Sais, said to have been a descendant of Carodec
Fraichfras, and bore arms ascribed to that Knight.
Heiress of the Hughes family married Lewis Nanney Esq. grandson by a
younger son of Hugh Nanney Esq. of Nannau Sherriff of Merioneth 1634. She
married the second time John Lloyd of Ceiswyn, Sheriff of Merioneth 1652
and 1667.
The Maespandy Estates passed into that of Wynn of Maesyneuadd Talsernau,
through the marriage of William Wynn Esq. to Lowry, eldest sister of John
Nanney Esq.
The oldest son William Wynn Esq. Sheriff of Merioneth 1758, assumed the
surname of Nanney. He died 1795, and the grandson John Nanney in 1838
became owner of Maesyneaudd and Maesypandy. The last of the he died in 1868.
Nanneys of Nannau bore Arms, or a lion rampant as for Nanney on the first
and fourth quarters, and second and third quarterly, ermine on a saltire,
gu.a crescent or, for Wynn.
Mrs. Nanney of Bronwylfa, St Asalph, Flintshire. Lucy Victoria, widow of
John Nanney Esq. J.P. son of the late Rev. John Nanney M.A. of Maesyneaudd,
County of Merioneth (who adopted the surname of Nanney in the room of his
own, Wynn) by Anne Fleming, daughter of John Fisher Esq. of Chetwynd Lodge,
Shropshire; third daughter of the late Rev. Edmund Williams, Esq. M.A. J.P.
of Pentre-Mawr in the county of Denbigh. She married Mr. Nanney, who died
1868, Dec 27 1859. Residence , Bronwylfa, St Alpha. (O. E. Ruck) Sir
William Berkeley who lived in Cariganshire, Wales, and was a descendant of
a Welsh Family was evidently in touch with the Nanney brothers of
Merionethshire, the adjacent county, and they came with him to Virginia.
Sir William Berkley was a conection of the Nanneys through his ancestor
Bleddyn Cynfyn of the third Royal Tribe of Wales. One line of the Nanneys
descended from Caradoc Fraichfras, a Knight of the Mystical Round Table.
"Vron Goch, just north of Bala, Merioneth, was the home of the Nanney
brothers, who emigrated America in or about 1640. I send you a little map
in which Vron Goch is marked, in the valley of the River Dee, which arises
in >Bala Lake. At Vron Goch were many Nanney clans. (O. E. Ruck). > > >
THE SURNAME YANCEY/YANCY >YANCEY:
Extensive research reveals, that except for a few very minor exceptions,
that in accordance with the dominant family tradition, all members of the
Yancey family do indeed descend from a common ancestry - a group of Yancey
families found living in Hanover/Louisa and Culpeper Counties in Virginia
in the early 1700's. The first documented record is that of one Charles
Yancey found living in King William County, Virginia in 1704.
Tradition has it, however, that members of the family first came to America
in 1642 with Sir William Berkeley. During the late 18th century members of
the family spread to North and South Carolina, Georgia, Kentucky and
Tennessee and later across the nation. There are currently approximately
5,000 households in the U.S. and Canada using the YANCEY surname (including
Black Americans).
YANCY: The consistency in the spelling of the name Yancey among the
earliest members of the family in America is rather unusual. The one
variation that did develop, however, in a few branches of the family during
the early to mid 1800's came about as a result of the dropping of the "E"
and use of the variant spelling of "YANCY". (It should be noted that many
early census, deed, and other records of the sort do often record the name
as spelled YANCY - but in only a few branches of the family has the variant
spelling been accepted as correct and handed down to the present
generation.) There are currently over 1,400 households in the United States
and Canada using this variant surname (including Black Americans).
YANCEY/YANCY/YANCIE (BLACK AMERICANS): It should be kept in mind that there
are, and have been for some time, Black Americans who carry the surnames
YANCEY/YANCY/ YANCIE. Variation in the spelling is much more common among
this group. Although uncommon prior to the Civil War, census records have
recorded "free blacks and mulattos" by surname Yancey as early as the late
1700's. When gaining their freedom, blacks often took the surname of their
previous master. The early (white) Yancey family being plantation owners
(and thus slave owners) it is not surprising to see the large number of
blacks by surname YANCEY which appear in the 1870 census - the first census
taken after the Civil War when blacks were granted freedom. So great was
the black Yancey population that in 1870 in Virginia and North Carolina
there were more black Yanceys than white. Concentrations of Blacks by
surname Yancey can now be found in Georgia, Virginia, North Carolina,
Pennsylvania, and other scattered areas along the East Coast. > > >
NANNEY: The dominant family tradition as to the origin of the Yancey
family - is that the family descends from four or five brothers who are to
have come to Virginia in 1642 with Sir William Berkley (Governor of
Virginia). Tradition has it that they were members of the NANNEY family of
Merionethshire Wales (a well known royal family of South Wales and owners
of the Nannau Estate). The name is to have been changed or corrupted to
Yancey upon arrival of these brothers in the New World.
Evidence for this tradition is backed up by the fact that the Coat of Arms
for the two families are very similar as well as various early Yancey
writings which also refer to the claimed connection. But, to date, no hard
evidence has been found to prove the connection between the two families.
Research, however, has revealed that members of the Nanney family did
indeed travel to the America's in the mid 1600's. There is record of one
Robert Nanney of England immigrating to Massachusetts in 1635. Later, in
the late 1700's various of his descendants settled in Virginia and North
Carolina. There is also a record of one Hugh nanney living in Virginia in
1689 in the James River area. No evidence has been found to connect him
with the Nanneys of Wales - but the connection seems quite probable. Recent
research has also discovered one John Nanney/Nanni who is to have traveled
to the New World during the reign of Charles I of England. This would be
just about the same time the Yancey/Nanney brothers are to have come to
Virginia (according to tradition). Although it should be kept in mind that
the Nanney-Yancey theory has not been proved, and could possibly be proved
invalid at some time, extensive research does seem to reveal a very
plausible connection between the two families.