Fawcett is the name of an old English gentry family [1] [2] which held lands in Cumbria, Northumberland, North Yorkshire, West Yorkshire. Prominent members of the family include politicians, Privy Counsellors, senior army officers and civil servants, shipping magnates, explorers and archaeologists.
The origins of the family can be traced back to Anglo-Scandinavian landlords who managed to maintain status after the 1066 invasion of England by the Normans of France and the Harrying of the North. [3] The Fawcett family shares its name with Fawcett street [4] in Kensington (London), the Fawcett Forest in Cumbria, Fawcett Moor in North Yorkshire and a village in North Yorkshire listed as Forset in the Domesday Book of 1086 [5] where the first known records of the family are mentioned under Henry II (1154 – 1189). The name Fawcett is derived from names de Forcett or de Forset which it replaces over the course of the 15th century following the Hundred Years' War. [6]
The first attested bearer of the name is Gilbert de Forcett, the younger son of Ervis, lord of Appleby-Upon-Tees, who granted him the lands of Forcett upon his marriage during the reign of Henry II. [7] Ervis's eldest son, Herbert de Appleby-Upon-Tees, who inherited the estate of Appleby, is the ancestor of the lords of Appleby. [8] Ervis was the grandson of a certain Ulf, listed as the lord of Appleby-Upon-Tees and Forcett in the Domesday Book, [9] and presumably descended from a Danish family that took possession of lands in Yorkshire during the Viking invasions from Denmark in the 9th century.
By the 13th century, following the First War of Scottish Independence the Fawcett family had been granted the Manor of Hertesheved [10] (Hartside) in the Breamish Valley, Northumberland with the task to oversee this area and protect the northeast borders of the Kingdom of England.
The Fawcett family was frequently involved in the Anglo-Scottish conflicts of the late Middle Ages. They are recorded as fighting with the Percy family [11] (Anglo-Scottish wars of the 14th century) and with the Clifford family (battle of Flodden Field in 1513 [12] ) who held the offices of Warden of the Marches. The family's involvement in the Hundred Years' War is also recorded at the battle of Agincourt and the siege of Harfleur. [11] [13]
During the 14th and 15th centuries, the Fawcett family extended its land holdings South mainly into the Yorkshire Dales and East in Cumbria. They had strong links with the Fountains Abbey, ensuring its protection as well as tenanting their land. [15] The family played a significant role in the Pilgrimage of Grace, [16] protesting against the dissolution of the monasteries. The Fawcett family eventually also became substantial landowners in the area when Miles Fawcett saved George Clifford, 3rd Earl of Cumberland, from bankruptcy in exchange for 2,000 acres of former Fountains Abbey land in 1603, [15] His brother, Henry Fawcett, a successful wool merchant became Alderman and Sheriff of Norwich.
In the 17th and 18th century the family acquired estates in Westmorland (Sandford Hall [18] acquired by Richard Fawcett in 1671, [19] from whom descend General Sir William Fawcett, the Fawcetts of Sandford and the Rehman Fawcetts) and in Cumbria (Scaleby Castle inherited by Rowland Fawcett at the end of the 18th century [20] from whom descends Percy Fawcett the celebrated explorer). General Sir William Fawcett rose to prominence in the 18th century for his merits as a tactician and as an in-depth reformer of the British Army. His actions contributed significantly to the successes met by the British troops during the Napoleonic wars. He served as Adjutant-General to the Forces from 1781 to 1799 as a Commander-in-Chief in 1799. During this period Fawcett was the de facto ruler of the English army, and the most influential officer on the headquarters staff.
Overtime the family moved from traditional farming to wool and silk trading [21] and became prominent shipping magnates [22] in East India during the XIXth and early XXth century.
The Fawcett family bears the arms “argent on a bend azure three dolphins embowed” with the crest a “dolphin embowed”, [2] [23] [24] these arms were confirmed by the College of Arms in 1619. There are three related branches of the Fawcett family which bear these arms with different mottos:
The Fawcett family from North Yorkshire is a distinct family from the Fawcett family of Bradford (arms: “argent a lion rampant sable”) or the Fawcett families of Somerset, Ireland and Scotland.
Westmorland is an area of Northern England which was historically a county. People of the area are known as Westmerians. The area includes part of the Lake District and the southern Vale of Eden.
Kendal, once Kirkby in Kendal or Kirkby Kendal, is a market town and civil parish in the Westmorland and Furness district of Cumbria, England. It lies within the River Kent's dale, from which its name is derived, just outside the boundary of the Lake District National Park.
Carlisle Castle is a stone keep medieval fortress located in the city of Carlisle near the ruins of Hadrian's Wall. First built during the reign of William II in 1092 and rebuilt in stone under Henry I in 1122, the castle is over 930 years old and has been the scene of many episodes in British history.
The Percy family is an English noble family. They were among the most powerful noble families in Northern England for much of the Middle Ages. The noble family is known for its long rivalry with the House of Neville, another family powerful in northern England during the 15th century. The Percy-Neville feud led to the Wars of the Roses, at the time known as the Civil Wars, in England.
Fawcett may refer to:
Sir George Clifford, 3rd Earl of Cumberland, 13th Baron de Clifford, 13th Lord of Skipton,, was an English peer, naval commander, and courtier of Queen Elizabeth I of England. He was notable at court for his jousting, at the Accession Day Tilts, which were highlights of the year at court. Two famous survivals, his portrait miniature by Nicholas Hilliard and a garniture of Greenwich armour, reflect this important part of his life. In contrast, he neglected his estates in the far north of England and left a long succession dispute between his heirs.
Brough Castle is a ruined castle in the village of Brough, Cumbria, England. The castle was built by William Rufus around 1092 within the old Roman fort of Verterae to protect a key route through the Pennine Mountains. The initial motte and bailey castle was attacked and destroyed by the Scots in 1174 during the Great Revolt against Henry II. Rebuilt after the war, a square keep was constructed and the rest of the castle converted to stone.
Robert de Clifford, 1st Baron de Clifford, of Appleby Castle, Westmorland, feudal baron of Appleby and feudal baron of Skipton in Yorkshire, was an English soldier who became 1st Lord Warden of the Marches, responsible for defending the English border with Scotland.
Brougham Castle is a medieval building about 2 miles (3.2 km) south-east of Penrith, Cumbria, England. The castle was founded by Robert I de Vieuxpont in the early 13th century. The site, near the confluence of the rivers Eamont and Lowther, had been chosen by the Romans for a Roman fort called Brocavum. The castle, along with the fort, is a scheduled monument: "Brougham Roman fort and Brougham Castle".
Forcett is a village in the Richmondshire district of North Yorkshire, England. It lies near the border with County Durham, on the B6274 road about 8 miles south of Staindrop. Nearby villages include Eppleby, Caldwell and Aldbrough.
Westmorland in North West England was abolished in 1974 following Ted Heath's Local Government Act 1972. Westmorland became a part of Cumbria along with Cumberland, parts of Yorkshire and Lancashire, including the Furness peninsular. In 2022 Westmorland was reconstituted as Westmorland and Furness following the abolition of Cumbria County Council. Westmorland and Furness have no High Sheriff as Cumbria has remained the ceremonial county.
JoscelinePercy, 11th Earl of Northumberland, 5th Baron Percy, of Alnwick Castle, Northumberland and Petworth House, Sussex, was an English peer.
Henry de Percy, 1st Baron Percy of Alnwick was a medieval English magnate.
Henry Percy, 9th Baron Percy of Topcliffe, 2nd Baron Percy of Alnwick was the son of Henry de Percy, 1st Baron Percy of Alnwick, and Eleanor Fitzalan, daughter of Sir Richard FitzAlan, 8th Earl of Arundel, and sister of Edmund FitzAlan, 9th Earl of Arundel.
Pennington is a surname indicating a family origin in Pennington, Cumbria. Other branches include members from an area of Surrey, London, Yorkshire, Hampshire and North America. This surname was originally spelled Pennigetun, though the spelling eventually evolved to Pennington.
Scaleby is a village and civil parish in the English county of Cumbria. It is bounded on the north by Kirklinton and Irthington; whilst to the south lie Stanwix and Crosby-on-Eden. Scaleby is located six miles north-east of the city of Carlisle, and has a population of 349, falling slightly to 346 at the 2011 Census. Scaleby is located close to the M6 motorway making it relatively accessible to anyone interested in its two main attractions; Scaleby Castle and the Church of All Saints, the former having many links with notable names in history.
Scaleby Castle is in the village of Scaleby, Cumbria, England. The castle was originally built in the early 14th century, and extended in the 15th century to form a substantial fortification. Parliamentary troops attacked the castle twice during the English Civil War, burning it. It was later restored to form a country house.
The extent of the medieval district of Craven, in the north of England is a matter of debate. The name Craven is either pre-Celtic Britain, Britonnic or Romano-British in origin. However, its usage continued following the ascendancy of the Anglo-Saxons and the Normans – as was demonstrated by its many appearances in the Domesday Book of 1086. Places described as being In Craven in the Domesday Book fell later within the modern county of North Yorkshire, as well as neighbouring areas of West Yorkshire, Lancashire and Cumbria. Usage of Craven in the Domesday Book is, therefore, circumstantial evidence of an extinct, British or Anglo-Saxon kingdom or subnational entity.
Captain Edward Boyd Fawcett was a British army officer and English cricketer active from 1859 to 1863. He was the father of explorer Percy Fawcett.