Traced His Descent: Interesting Case Of New Zealander

Chronicle (Levin), 13 December 1949, Page 7

Traced His Descent: Interesting Case Of New Zealander

Received Menday 7 p.m. LONDON, Dec.* 12. " As a result of iiiquiries made through Debrett 's Peerage, a-resident of Otaua, near Waiuku, IVIr Gordon ^Deed, has sueceeded m traeing his family descent not only'from two of tlie most— fanious ramilies in English history, the de. Veres and the Fitzalans, but also in proving that he is also directly deseended from lying Edward the First oi' England and from King DavicL the Eirst of Seot-. land. • Mr Cyril Hanldnson, editor of Debrett, describes the investigation condueted in eonneetion with Mr Deed's. claims, as the most interesting in his long e.xperience of genealogy. "I have never eneountered a case that has proved one-tenth as interesting as . tliat of Mr Deed," said Mr Hankinson. "1 should imagine his family tree is unrivalled in New Zealand." Mr Hankinson has diseovered that Mr Deed's family, until 1800, was kuown as Dade and that it is directly deseended from Aubrey de„ Vere, nobletpan of Brittanv, wlio was one. of the ehief supporters of William of N ormandy when he invaded England. For his services the conqueror granted de Vere large eStates in Essex including (Jastle Hedingham. Aubrev.de Vere's son was appointed Chambelain aiid Chief Justiceiar of England but was siain in a riot in London in 1141. This office of Chambelain, now styled Lord Great Chamberlain, became hereditary in the de Vere family and the present holder, the Earl of Lancaster, derives his right to it th rough descent in the femaie line from the de Veres. Another notable family to wliom Mr' Deed's relationship has been traced is the Fitzalans, Earls of Arundel. In this case his descent has been traced baek to A'llan Fitz-Flaad who accom- ' panied Henrv the First from Brittany to England and whose father was Steward of Dol in Brittany. These Fitzalans were as famous as the de Vere's and it is stated that wlien Richard Fitzalan, sixth Earl of Arundel, wa's beheaded in Cheapside in 1397, for taking part with the Duke of Gloucester against the King, he met his death ' ' with no ' more slirinking or ehanging colour than if he were going to a banquet. ' ' Not content with proving this distinguished ancestry for Mr Deed, Debrett 's research staff has diseovered that he can trace his descent back through 19 generations to Eleanor, daughter of Edward the First bv her marriage with Humphrev de Bohun, Earl of Hereford and Essex and Lord High Constable of England. Now Debrett's stafi is following another line of inquiry which links Mr Deed 's family tree with Sir John Wingfield whQ was deseended from King David the First of Scotland. One ot these Wingfields, Sir Anthony, -was

made a Knight of the Garter by Henry the Eighth for gallant conduct in France and was iett £200 by the King -when he died. • . ' Mr Deed 'first began his ihquiries when lie read in New Zealand papers that Debrett had succeeded in traeing missing' heirs of titles tu families now living in New . Zealand. Mr Deed possessed a number of interesting fam ily records which ' he believed wrould bt useful to Debrett but., which he was un able to foliow furt'her without expert assistance. The cliecking of these re vealed a distinguished descent which has been proved by one of the jiiost interesting genealogica! mvestigations carried out by the staflf of Debrett for many years. When he gave these facts to the New Zealand Press Associatiou represeuta- . tive, Mi Hankiiison added a warning that not every inquirer who seeics to establish eonneetion with distinguished families, is sueeesstul. "-Not very loug ago, ' ' said Mr Hankinson, ' ' a lady i asked me to trace her great grand.Nather., I. did .this and found a certificate of his marriage in Tasmama, ou which he is descibed as a convict. i'ortuiiatelv the lady concerned took this news very calmly and admitted she aJ ways suspected something of the sort. ''