Some early Ducey names and dates
FRANCE
(Ed. Note –We can find only rare snippets of reference to the early Norman Duceys, most of them coming from Latin texts. There are few direct linkages between these names, i.e. father to son to grandson, etc. As an example, while five William de Ducey are identified starting about 1100 AD to 1326, there could have been eight or more — we may never know for sure. As well, their linage may not be direct. Rather than father to son, some of these Williams could be nephews.)
912 – 916 AD — Rollon, or Rollo (sometimes referred to as Robert), the son of Ragnvald, one of the original Norman (Norsemen) invaders of Normandy, makes peace with the King of France, Charles 1 between 912 and 916. He is then in a position to reward his followers.
916 – 1000 — Near the start of the 10th century, the fiefdom of Ducey, including lands around the town, was created and gifted to important knights, lords or seigneurs to rule, manage and pay monies earned from the land to their patrons. All were believed to be Norsemen. The name of first known of these,who ruled at Ducey, written in Latin, was Ranulfum de Duisseio.
1095 – 1150– Ranulfe de Ducey was first identified in a charter signed at Savigny in 1095. Historians tell us that he became seigneur de Ducey sometime after the conquest of England, ruling into the 12th Century.
1125- 1140 — Roberto de Duxeio — (Robert of Ducey) (we will call him Robert ( I) signs a charter at the Chapel of Mont-Saint-Michel between 1119 and 1128, gifting some of the Ducey lands at Fougeres to the Abbey in return for religious blessings, as was the custom of the time. Robert pays tribute to his father, Ranulfe, and other ancestors. He is accompanied by wife Cecile and son William (#2). He also left a second son, Robert(II), and a daughter, Mathilde, when he died in 1140.
1171 – 1180 — William ( was he #2 or #3 ?) de Ducey becomes seigneur of Ducey. He was noted for his generosity and said to be to be the greatest and most renowned seigneur of the Ducey lands, serving from 1171 to 1180. His presence is recorded at an official gathering at the Cathedral d’Avranches on 21 May 1172. He was married to Marie, and may have gained additional lands from her dowry that he eventually gave to churches at St-Martin-du-Gast and Champcervon, with her approval. He was also a great benefactor of the abbey at Montmorel, and was considered to be one of its founders. He died at his chateau at Ducey in 1180 but was interred at Savigny, where he had also donated generous gifts of lands. He is believed to be survived by four children: Herve, Aeliz, Ernald and Gisleberthe. One source writes that his oldest son, Herve is said to have succeeded him. Another source says he left no successor.
1180 – 1220 — Herve de Ducey serves as seigneur of the Ducey lands for 40 years, until 1220. Despite his lengthy term, little definitive information is yet to be found about him.
Mathilde, the daughter of Robert (1), was the niece of William (#1). She marries William of Husson, who held a neighboring fief to that of Ducey. They have a son, Foulques. Just to confuse us, one historical source writes that he was really William of Ducey ( #3 or #4 ?). After the death of Husson, (c. 1210) the widow Mathilde marries Nigel, viscount of Mortain.
1272 — William de Ducey (#5)–is recorded to have been present, along with several other knights, at the Monastery of Tours, to support the King of France, Phillipe III, and to pledge the honour of the fief of Ducey to the King.
1280 – 1335 — William (#5) has two sons, the elder is William (#6) who inherits the Ducey fief. The younger, John de Ducey, (Johannes de Duxeyo) inherits the fief of Ducy Sainte Margeurite from his father. This fief is handed down to Olivier de Ducey, who later backs the wrong side in the Hundred Year’s War and the property is taken over from the family by order of King Henry V in 1419.
1302 — Mathilde’s son Foulques, marries and later dies in 1302, leaving his own son as seigneur of Ducey. He is Fraslin de Husson. Thus, the last of the Ducey linage disappears from the fief of Ducey.
1314 – 1315 — There are references to Johannes de Duxeyo, believed to be John de Ducey, who inherits the fief of Ducy Ste. Margeurite. As mentioned above, the property passes to his descendants until it is confiscated by order of King Henry V in 1419. Descendants of this family spelled both as Ducy, and Ducey are now found throughout France, starting from the 1700’s.
1326 — William (#6), believed to the brother of John de Ducey, now comes into the picture.
According to research by Sister Agnes, this William (#6) sold what remained of the original Ducey fief to Fulco de Husson, accepting an offer from Queen Isabella of England to assist her in overthrowing one of her husband’s (Edward II) court favorites. The date Sister Agnes provides is 1336, but English history makes it 1326, when Isabella brought French knights and their troops to England to overthrow Edward II. She was peacefully deposed in 1330.
——————————————————————————————————————————-
1326 — William Ducey (#6) sails to England with his troops to support Queen Isabella and settles in Staffordshire
This Norman knight, was said to have been rewarded with 300 acres of land in Staffordshire, England, moving there and establishing a manor, along with agricultural lands, near the town of Willenhall (William’s Hall). She claims the town took his name but this is doubtful. Willenhall is listed in the Domesday Book of 1066 as existing as early as the 8th century as “Willenhalch” (William’s meadow.) Another historical note says the name comes from a Saxon word signifying “victory; so-called from the battle fought near it in the year 911.
While English histories support her theory, that a Norman Ducey settled in Staffordshire, solid clues that this was William (#6) have yet to be found. Nor could sister Agnes find any trace of children or grandchildren of this William.
However English history acknowledges the Ducey emigration, eventually linking it to ancestors of Sir Robert Ducie, to wit: ” The family came out of Normandy, and had its estates in the county of Stafford from the time of King Edward II, when ______ Ducy, their ancestor, raised a regiment for Queen Isabella against that king, out of the Normans his countrymen, and was most probably, after the deposing of that unfortunate prince, rewarded with lands in England.” British National Archives supports this thesis.
1346 — The town of Ducey, its Chateau and surrounding buildings are razed to the ground by English invaders led by Renaud de Gobehen, under the flag of England’s King Edward III.
1521 — Through his marriage to Claude de la Boissiere, Jacques de Montgommery, a renowned warrior-knight, becomes seigneur of the Ducey fief, which will remain in his family for almost 200 years.
1608 — Seigneur of Ducey, Gabriel II of Montgommery begins construction of the current Chateau Montgommery at Ducey.
ENGLAND
Ducey, Duce, Ducye and Ducie — descendants of William de Ducey (III) ?
1532 — The earliest Ducey references yet to be found in England to date, are these:
10 February 1532 — a one-line note contained in a book dealing with the papers of King Henry VIII. In a note no.26, under date of February 10, entitled “Fiats for letters of denization for the following persons”, there is a list that includes 11 French citizens given English recognition. Four of these are from Normandy and this one is: “Stephen Ducye, born in Normandy.”
1532 — Henry Duce (#1) is recorded as living near Willenhall, Staffordshire, in that year, with wife Marjorie and four children; James(I), John, Elizabeth and Agnes.
Were it not for the success of Henry’s (#1) grandson, Robert Ducie, it is doubtful that we would have little, if any, recorded traces of the Ducye – Duce, Ducie – Ducey family. Robert Ducie became extremely rich through his business acumen and land-holdings. He is cited as being banker to King Charles I, who rewarded him with the title of Baronet, and First Earl of Ducie, thus establishing him as a member of the aristocracy. During his lifetime he purchased several estates near the original Ducey lands near Willenhall, Staffordshire. The title of Earl of Ducie is still in existence today.)
There is currently no further trace of 2nd son John or his descendants.
1510 – 1585 —Henry’s 1st son, James Ducye (# 1) prospers, sells much of the Ducye lands in Staffordshire during his lifetime and becomes wealthy.
James (#1) has two sons, Richard (#1) and Henry (#2):
1st son Richard (#2) marries a daughter of a wealthy neighbor, Richard Bielston.
1565 Sept. 6. A reference to a sale of property “…in Walsall,(Staffordshire) in a street called ‘the high strete,’ in tenure of William Clarke, between the house of James Ducie(I) and William Elliotte’.”
1566 — 10 January — James Ducye(I) makes a 21-year lease of two acres of “arable land” in Windmill Field, in the lordship of Walsall, co. Stafford, to his son, Richard(I) Ducye. However, a registry dated 25 April 1577, says that this land “had descended to the said James by will of his father ‘Roger’.”
2nd son is Henry Ducye,(II) who marries Mary Hardy 2 July 1571.
(Sister Agnes has Henry(II) moving to London by 1580 but the family still holds lands in Staffordshire.)
Henry(II) Ducye and wife Mary Hardy have four sons:
1st son: Robert Ducie, his heir
2nd son: Hugh or John ? (Collins Peerage of England, 1812 lists him as John) (both Henry Sanders’ History of Shenstone and Stafford, 1794 and Burke’s Peerage 07th edition, 2003, list him as Hugh Ducie, created a Knight of Bath in 1661. d. 1662.
3rd son: Henry (III)
4th son: James( (II)
Burke’s Peerage lists Robert Ducie, b. 29 May 1575. died 12 July 1634. In his business career, like his father Henry (II), he becomes a high ranking member of Merchant Taylor, one of the largest delivery guilds in London.
Robert’s father, Henry Ducie(II) is listed as deceased in November, 1587.
Robert Ducie is appointed an alderman of London, then a Sheriff of London(1620), and finally briefly,(as was the custom) is appointed by the King to be Lord Mayor of London(1630). Immensely rich, he is banker to King Charles I, who on 28 Nov. 1629, advanced him to a Baronet as Lord Robert, 1st Earl of Ducie.
Overthrown, the King leaves Robert a debt of 80,000 British.pounds. However when Robert dies in 1634, he leaves several residential estates purchased during his lifetime as part of an estate valued at some 400,000 pounds. Most of these properties were in Staffordshire.
Robert Ducie(I) m. Elizabeth Pyott, c. 1608. They have four sons:
Son 1 — Richard(II) A supporter of Charles I, he is named Sheriff of Gloucestorshire for 1637-38. However, for his political leanings, he was imprisoned in 1640 during the civil war. Richard dies unmarried, 7 March, 1656, at his manor house in Totsworth and is buried in the Totsworth Church He had succeeded brother Robert as 2nd Baronet. His estate goes to his brother William.
Son 2 — William Ducie lives to benefit from the Restoration in 1661 and is granted favors and titles by Charles II. He is recorded as being granted a passport to travel to France with servants in 1637. William marries Frances Seymour in 1662. In 1645 he is” licensed to bind apprentice John Ducie, to Isaac Lee of Hamburg, Merchant.”
William is also named 3rd Baronet in 1656, on the death of brother Richard He is appointed a Knight of Bath and Viscounte Downe of Ireland by 1660. Records indicate that he never went to Ireland the latter title. He marries Frances Seymour in 1662. He dies, 9 September 1697 at his principal residence at Totsworth and is buried there. He leaves no heir and his estate passes to his niece, Elizabeth, the only child of Sir Robert Ducie.
Son 3 — Henry Ducye(III) has moved to London, St. Laurence parish, and is working for the East India Company, a shipping firm trading with Japan and China. He becomes President of he Council of Sarrat, East Indies. On Dec. 15, 1619, he is given an increase in wages. On Nov. 16, 1627, that company orders the remaining wages of Henry Ducye, deceased, to be paid. Not married, he leaves no heirs.
Son 4 — Robert(II) the youngest son, he was given by his father, the manor at Aston, which he had purchased in 1632. A contemporary of Robert(II) is recorded saying in an insulting manner that he “liked to be known as ‘Ducey of Little Aston’.” He died in 1668 and was survived by one daughter, Elizabeth.
Elizabeth, the last direct member of this branch of the Ducie family, marries Edward Moreton of Moreton. Their son, Matthew Ducie Moreton, succeeded to the several Ducie estates and in 1720 became Lord Ducie, Baron of Moreton.
Still unaccounted for at this writing are any descendants of Robert’s uncle, Richard (I) and Robert’s younger brother, James(II).
In September 1644, a John Ducey, a surveyor of timber to the navy, is granted 14 days of rest.
1855 — A death certificate is registered for John Ducey, at the Dudley Register Office, West Midlands.
In the 1880s, the Tellisford Bridge, located at Tellisford, North Bradley, Wiltshire Co. is rebuilt by the parish. It is noted that the original bridge was built by John Ducey, a Tellisford mason in 1692.
——————————————————————————————————————————–