Wednesday 18 August 2010

THE EARLIEST REYNISH?

Thanks to Ted REYNISH Pat has been alerted to, perhaps, the earliest mention of a REYNISH in Pembrokeshire.

If you look at:

http://www.revjones.fsnet.co.uk/previous/page5.html

This gives you the previous incumbents of Monkton Rectorial Benefice. Richard REYNISSHE was an incumbent there at St Twynnells in 1398 (Yes! thirteen hundred and ninety eight!)

If anyone has anything further to add please do!

Thursday 1 July 2010

REYNISH OR RAINES COAT OF ARMS?




This blog may be a little controversial and Pat would welcome input and discussion about it. Here is a photo of the Coat of Arms that the REYNISH New Zealand cousins have adopted and put on their cake at their reunion in February 2010.

The same image appears in the frontispiece of the story of the New Zealand immigrant written by Denise & Tony Crafts.
However when trying to find out more about the heraldry Pat came across the same coat of arms for the family RAINES. Please see the URL below for House of Names website below. It is believed that this company is based in Canada.
Pat has not come across RAINES as a variant of REYNISH as yet. Could someone please enlighten her to where this claim to the coat of arms originated please as she collects all evidence.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION....
23 September 2010
Further to this subject please see the Surname database entry:
RAINE is included here as a diminutive variant of RENISH

Thursday 4 February 2010

George Edward Crowther REYNISH

The New Zealand immigrant - this evidence has been collected together to celebrate the REYNISH New Zealand reunion to be held on the weekend of February 19 and 20th 2010. I hope it all goes well. Greetings to you all. I wish I could be there.

George REYNISH was born in Roch PEM in 1836 the eldest child of James & Mary (nee DAVIES). He does not seem to have acquired the additional names of Edward & Crowther until the New Zealand records, although two of his brothers had Crowther as 2nd names at some time.
In 1841 census, aged 5, he was living with his parents and brother James at Thornbush, Camrose.
In 1851 census the family were in Steynton. George was a farm boy, aged 15 and now had siblings James, John, Jane, William and Charles.
In 1861 census he is a seaman aged 25 on board the "Jane GLASSIN" in St George's Channel (between Wales and Ireland). I have not found the rest of the family in the 1861 census.
By mid 1870 (according to Tony & Denise CRAFTS excellent book "Pembrokeshire to the Peninsula") he is settled in Pigeon Bay, Banks Peninsula, South Island, New Zealand with his wife Avis (nee GILES). It was her second marriage. They went on to have 15 children. The photograph shows him with his eldest daughter Eva born in 1875.
There is a story that his brother John went to NZ to ask him to go home to Wales and unfortunately drowned in Auckland Harbour aged 29 in 1873 (so born in 1844). Could someone provide more detail of this sad event please. "Our" John is not in the 1871 census here in UK and his birth was registered in 1841. The year of birth is close enough in date to be the same person. There is no John born in England & Wales in 1844.

John may have gone to NZ because their father James had died. There is a death of a John KEYNISH in Haverfordwest Registration District in 1863. Mary is a widow in the 1871 census living at Furzey Park, Haverfordwest with sons Charles and Thomas Henry aged 18 and 11. In 1881 she is still there aged 70 with son Thomas. I have not found her in 1891 census and she may be the Mary REYNISH who died aged 74 in 1885 in Haverfordwest RD. I am still following up the other children to find out what happened to them.

Friday 29 January 2010

William REYNISH 1884 to ?







The photo was found in a "History of Royal Wiltshire & Yeomanry" by Brig. J.R.I. PLATT, published in 1981. It shows the sergeants of "A" Squadron at Christmas 1916 in France. Sergeant W. REYNISH is seated at bottom right hand corner of this picture.


I believe him to be William REYNISH son of Joshua REYNISH & Mary Ann (nee KING). He was born in Salisbury in 1884. He is in the 1891 census in Salisbury aged 7 living with his parents and 7 siblings. In 1901 he is still living with his parents and 2 siblings in Salisbury and his occupation is Corn Salesman. In 1911 he has moved to Winchester and is now with his sister Louisa who married Charles YOUNG in Salisbury in 1910. He is now 27, a coal salesman and single.


According to his medal roll at The National Archives (TNA ref. WO372/16) he enlisted on 5 June 1916. His regimental number is 320206. He was later in the Reserve Dragoons and became a 2nd Lieut. in the City of London Yeomanry.


I cannot find a marriage or death for William. He is not in the Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC) website. If references are needed please contact me and if you have further information I would be very pleased to receive it.

Thursday 21 January 2010

REYNISH ONE-NAME REUNION

There is to be a REYNISH reunion held on the weekend of Sat and Sun 2 and 3 October 2010 at Solva Memorial Hall. Please contact Pat to express your interest in this event so that she can send you more details.
There are two speakers already arranged and a dinner on Saturday. Then on Sunday there will be a local history event(details later).
This reunion is, coincidentally, happening during the same year as the 900th anniversary of the founding of Haverfordwest by the Flemings. Reynish is thought to be a Flemish name of course. Please support us and see:
http://www.haverfordwesttown.co.uk/haverfordwest900.asp

Wednesday 20 January 2010

The REYNISH oral history relates that the ancestors of the present day families were Flemish. An interesting quote is to be found in Gerald of Wales' "Itinerary through Wales" in the chapter covering "Haverford and Ros" in 1188.

"The inhabitants of this province derived their origin from Flanders, and were sent by King Henry 1st to inhabit these districts: a people brave and robust, ever most hostile to the Welsh: a people, I say, well versed in commerce and woollen manufacturies: a people anxious to seek gain by sea and land, in defiance of fatigue and danger: a hardy race, equally fitted for the plough or the sword: a people brave and happy."

I believe that the REYNISHs did and still do live up to these comments-however not so hostile to the Welsh these days but now assimilated into their culture, language, society and history.