For visitors to this site interested in the evolving Duggleby Family Tree, starting around the time of the Domesday book (1086), please see the special page by clicking here where you will find a copy of the latest update to the tree.
I have also provided some information about examples of the very old documents used to produce the family tree. If you are interested in these please take a look at my blog entries by clicking here, here and here.
Duggleby, in addition to being a rather unusual family name is also the name of a village in the East Riding of Yorkshire, England. It was mentioned in the Domesday Book as ‘Difgelibi‘ when detailing the lands and holding of Beringer of Cosney. The Domesday Book was a land survey and census from 1086. It was commissioned by William the Conqueror to assess the extent of the land and resources owned in England to determine what taxes he could raise.
The history of Duggleby can physically be traced back to about 3000 BC because it is the location of Duggleby Howe, one of the largest Round Barrows in Britain. The Barrow or burial mound is presumed to date from the late Neolithic period. It is 37 metres in diameter and aerial photographs show it is surrounded by a circular enclosure, 370 metres in diameter. There are two concentric bronze-age ditches one inside and one outside this enclosure. The origins of the Duggleby Howe are steeped in mystery. Its location is close to the source of the Gypsey Race, a ‘magical’ stream which rises through a series of springs and flows intermittently. This may well have influenced our ancestors’ decision to build Duggleby Howe. Folklore predicts that when the Gypsey race flows bad fortune is likely. Apparently it flowed in the year before the great plague of 1664!
A series of excavations were performed on the mound in the late 19th century revealing some of its secrets. It would appear that Duggleby Howe was used as a cemetery for a long period of time since the Late Neolithic. Some of the burials appear to have been of important people like chieftains who had flint weapons and ceramic articles buried alongside their bodies as well as tools and artefacts made from from flint, antlers, bones, boar tusk and beaver tooth. Other burials were cremations and the lack of any surrounding vessel or enclosure indicated they may well have been sacrificial offerings, possibly accompanying the burial of local chieftains. The broken bones of the ox, roebuck, red deer, fox, goat, and pig found at the site indicate the burials involved big ceremonial feasts. Interestingly among these were also human bones which had been broken and cooked. It would appear that at least some of the ancient English folk were cannibals (I have included a link for photos and more information about Duggleby Howe in the links section on the right hand side of the archives page).
Moving swiftly on from cannibals to my own ‘Duggleby’ history – it has been possible to trace my ancestors back to just after the time when the village of Duggleby was mentioned in the Domesday Book. The most notable early figure was Sir Henry Duggleby (born 1145). To give this some historical perspective this was around the time of the reign of King Richard 1 of England (Richard the Lion Heart, 1157-1199) and the third crusade. Sir Henry Duggleby was my GREAT-GREAT-GREAT-GREAT-GREAT-GREAT-GREAT-GREAT-GREAT-GREAT-GREAT-GREAT-GREAT-GREAT-GREAT-GREAT-GREAT-GREAT-GREAT-GREAT-GREAT-GREAT-GREAT GRANDFATHER (23 ‘greats’). A major acknowledgement is due here to Ellen Reid for her painstaking work and dedication in uncovering much of the documentary basis for this trail.
Clearly some of the earlier dates are approximations. You will also see the variations in spellings of the name as it was registered in the documents over the centuries: it is not just today that people struggle to spell the name Duggleby correctly. A lot of the early information came from Last Will and Testaments. All except the last three generations lived either in Duggleby or villages nearby. The lineage from Sir Henry to myself appears to be as follows (for more detail take a look at the PDF version of the tree available from here):
Duggleby (possibly Difgelibi, first name unknown): Born approx. 1115 – died ? Wife’s name unknown?
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Sir Henry de Duggleby (de Dingelby) Born approx. 1145 – died ? (Brother Jollan): Wife’s name unknown?
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Adam Duggleby Born 1195 –? Wife?
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Adam Duggleby (de Dugleby) 1250 – 1300 (Brother Hugh): Wife Joan
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Ralph Duggleby (de Dugleby) 1275 –? (Siblings: John, Robert, Adam): Wife?
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William Duggleby (Willelmo de Dugelbi) 1305 –? (Siblings: John, Walter): Wife?
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John Duggleby (Dyngelby) 1345 –? (Siblings: William, Robert): Wife?
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John Duggleby (de Duggylby) 1370 –? (One unknown brother): Wife?
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William Duggleby (Willim Dogilby) 1402 –? Wife?
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Duggleby (first name unknown): 1424 –? Wife?
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Thomas Duggleby (Doggleby of Thornholme) 1460 – 1503 Wife Margaret
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Walter Duggleby (Doggleby) 1485 –? (Siblings: Joan, Alice): Wife?
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William Duggleby (Douglebi of North Dalton) 1510 – 1561 (Siblings: Cuthbert, John): Wife?
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Robert Duggleby (Dugleby, Dougelbe of North Dalton) 1535 – 1589 (Siblings: Roger, Ann): Wife Mabel
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William Duggleby (Dougilbie) 1575 – 1620 (Siblings: John, Matthew, Richard, John, Audrey, Issabel) Wife Margaret
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Robert Duggleby 1605 – 1678 (Siblings: William, Thomas, Isabel): Wife Elizabeth
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John Duggleby 1675 – 1728 (Siblings: Nickolas, Elisabeth, Margaret, Beatrice): Wife Elizabeth
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David Duggleby 1723 – 1806 (Siblings: John, Rachel, Ann): Wife Elizabeth
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William Duggleby 1750 – 1794 (Sibling: Rebecca): Wife Elizabeth
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John Duggleby 1775 – 1830 (Siblings: Michael, William, Mary, Betty, Rebecca): Wife Jane
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William Duggleby 1804 – 1876 (Siblings: John, David, Bryan, Mary, Elizabeth, Mary, Anne): Wife Ann
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John Duggleby 1834 – 1911 (Siblings: George, William, Mary, Ann, Elizabeth, Jane, Matilda, Hannah): Wife Ann
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John William Duggleby 1879 – 1950 (Siblings: Seth, Wilson, Fred, Seth, Tom, George, Barbara, Mary, Frances, Ada): Wife Annie
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Leslie Duggleby 1907 – 1943 (Siblings: George, Maude, Adeline, Annie): Wife Elizabeth
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John Leslie Duggleby Born 1937 (Sibling: June): Wife Christine Helen
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Christopher Leslie Duggleby Born 1958 (Siblings: Matthew John, Helen Louise): Wife Monika
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Alexander Duggleby Born 1983 and Pascal Duggleby Born 1989
Chris Duggleby 
Hi
Just thought I’d drop by to say hello. We are the end of the line of descendants of William Duggleby – one of the three Dugglebys that ended up in New York State. I think that, outside of some uncertainties about his wife’s (Sarah Ann Voohees) death, Vincent and I may have pretty much cleared up that part of the family tree. Perhaps I should let Vincent discuss the complexities that have arisen as a result of the examination of Ellen’s dad’s and my DNA as regards to our shared Y-Chromosome SNP markers.
Of course, there is as yet no part of our Duggleby heritage in the family tree, as neither Thomas Duggleby nor his wife Rachel Dorsdale are present as descendants of Robert Duggleby and Mary Craven.
Be glad to send you a picture of myself to see if I have the requisite cheek bones. There is no sign of the Viking hand problem though. Cheers.
As an aside, our oldest daughter was “blown away” when, as a fan of “All Creatures, Great and Small”, she saw an episode in which a farmer named Duggleby called the vet in because of “problems” with his pigs. Seems the vet was reputed to be able to forecast the results of football (your kind, and not the pointy-ended ball kind we have here).
Our best
William and Christine Duggleby
Thanks William and Christine,
So if I have understood things correctly it looks as if you and Vincent have uncovered potential links back to Robert Duggleby (husbandman of Beeford b: 1725 d: 1770) from page 11 of the tree.
Thanks for the offer for the picture, perhaps I should set up a page of photos of Dugglebys from around the globe. If anyone is interested please just send the photos to my e-mail address and I will try and set up an extra page linked to the tree section (if you don’t have my e-mail address just let me know via the comments box and I will get back to you).
Fortunately I do not yet have the Viking hand problem although my father and his sister definitely have it. It is supposed to appear later in life and as I am mid-fifties (OK a bit over!) it may still be hiding.
As for football predictions – well this is a bit of a sore subject in the UK after what happened yesterday. Maybe we should be looking for some more footballing talents in Yorkshire (does your daughter remember whether farmer Duggleby’s pig could actually play?).
Kind regards,
Chris.
Hi
The reference about the farmer, pigs and Yorkshire refers to an episode in the televised version of the book “All creatures great and Small”. Any resemblance to a real Duggleby farmer interested in football is purely coincidental.
The U.S. team in the Word Cup matches has raised our interest in football of the non-pointy ball kind. I’m eagerly awaiting our match against Germany. The game against Portugal was one for the ages.
I’d appreciate getting your E-mail address. Of course, you have mine. I will send a photo if you’re interested.
Our best
Dugg & Chris
I though t i better send another remark this was in TOOWOOMBA QUEENSLAND AUSTRALIA. Dad was at AMBERLY AIR BASE near Brisbane. Mum and dad parted when i was young. We lived in our house at Southbrook for many years I can add to the family tree as there are children and granchildren but do not know how to do so. There are also great great grandchildren to go on the tree.
Hi Lynette,
Thanks for getting in touch. It is fantastic to have visitors from the Garden City. Because my response is a little long I have sent it separately to you by e-mail. If it doesn’t get through please let me know.
Kind regards,
Chris.