The Grigsbys Part One

So let me tell you a story.  A story about real people.  My ancestors; the Grigsby line.

I could start with the Vikings from Denmark invading the British Isles since there is a general belief that's where we came from.  "Bye" means closed settlement in Danish, where people usually lived that were related to each other.  What we spell Grigsby now was spelled in many different ways back then; Grigsbye, Greagsby, Greaby, Grigby, Grebby.

The use of surnames is relatively new, and they certainly weren't in use when the Vikings invaded Lincolnshire, but there were many settlements in that area with variations on the Grigsby name, so it appears likely that the surname was chosen to indicate a place.

Henry VIII was the first to order that "marital births be recorded under the name of the father" in the mid 1500's, which is when we meet our first ancestor, John Grigby (1495-1550).  John was in London when retained by Queen Catherine of Aragon (Henry VIII) "as clerk of her Council and Registrar of her Chancery." John was paid 5 pounds for his duties in 1529.

"King Henry VIII, with an entourage of many persons, set out from Greenwich Palace
near London on his way to a meeting called the FIELD of the CLOTH of GOLD-20 May
1520, reaching Leeds Castle the 22nd."  Leeds Castle was one of the King's many "Summer Palaces", and I continue to use that name to reference my little camper in Detroit Lakes, MN.

In 1521, the Queen occupied her suite in Leeds Castle, located five miles southeast of Maidstone in Kent.

For all you history buffs or historical romance readers, Catherine of Aragon was Henry VIII's first wife.  The daughter of Isabella and Ferdinand, yep, that Isabella and Ferdinand from your history books.
 
And when Henry divorced Catherine and married Anne Boleyn, John went to work for her as well.  In 1534 he again earned 5 pounds.  John worked for Queen Anne until her death in 1536 (she was executed).

Maidstone is about 5 miles from Leeds Castle.  Here he met and married Margaret Sharp about 1525. Margaret was from Loose, about 3 miles from Maidstone.

Maidstone, Loose, and Leeds Castle

More to come in Part Two!