My grandmother's paper pedigree shows John
Stokes, a taylor within the White Lyon, in Dublin as the father of
Gabriel Stokes. This same man was also identified:
Family researchers explored the possibility
of connections to various English families including the Norman family
from Wiltshire of which Burkes says,
This family is of Norman
origin and claims to be a branch of the
ancient & honourable house of
Montespedor, now believed to be extinct
in Normandy. From old document it
appears that its ancestors must have
come to England after the conquest,
when Honours and possessions were
assigned to them. Their history,
however, is not uninterruptedly traced
until the time of Edward ii, 1312,
when we find by records in the Tower
that Sir Adam de Stoke was seized of
the manor of Stokke & Batishall in
the Co. of Wilts. Thomas his eldest
son held the manor of Seend with
other lands in Wilts, and Roger his
second son of the manors of
Wolfshall, Savernagge, &
Hungerford, in the same County. “The latter
Roger with his father Sir Adam were
interred in the Church of Great
Bedwyn.
None of my relations managed to find a definite connection to any
ancient line in England.
I was therefore suprised and delighted to find on ancestry.co.uk several
family trees showing ancestors of my 6 greats grandfather John Stokes,
tailor of Dublin. I could not find the ultimate source of these trees.
It is possible that some may be shared copies of the other Ancestry
trees rather than original research. However, there must be some
ultimate source, so I am trying to analyse the information and I plan to
contact the tree owners to see if anyone can help by providing a source.
gibbscs
has Gabriel Stokes with no descendants - Line goes back: John and
Elizabeth McHugh, John, John of Much Wenlock and Ellen Dutton,
George(1585-1670 of Much Wenlock) and Sarah Widdison
jeff_lukomiak
has a line going back from Gabriel Stokes of Skreen, via John the tailor
to the Much Wenlock Stokes and originating in Normandy. This tree
superficially looks similar to that of BrentAllenStokes (see below)
splmw60
has a tree which extend back to George Stokes (1585-1670 of Much
Wenlock)
Schexshe
has a tree which includes a line from Gabriel Stokes of Dublin back to
john of Seend (1459-1513). It looks rather as if it may have been
imported from somewhere since it does not seem to connect to home
person.
rfawcus1
has a tree going back from me great great grandfather to the Stokes of
Seend.
BrentAllenStokes
has a line from Gabriel Stokes back through Seend to Normandy. Brent
does not seem to connect to this line. See jeff_lukomiak above.
I have searched for information about the Stokes of Much Wenlock but
cannot find any.
Some of the Ancestry trees show John Stokes, father of Gabriel
Stokes(1682-1751), with a second marriage to a Pope, and producing a
line of descendants in Dorset. So did John the tailor move to Dorset
after the death of his first wife?
What is the source for Elizabeth McHugh shown by many as the mother of
Gabriel Stokes (1682-1751)?
Any help in answering these questions would be very much appreciated.
Michael Sandford 26 September 2013, email
m.sandford@lineone.net