Funny after being busy with Edward Valentine Blomfield finding this .
Family tree leads to discovery of possible royal link
Megan Blomfield from St Johns, Worcester, who may be related to Richard III. Pic Jonathan Barry 19.1.15 0415801805 (16497047)
Elaine Blomfield from St Johns, Worcester, with her daughter Megan Blomfield, who may be related to Richard III. Pic Jonathan Barry 19.1.15 0415801802 (16497076)
Elaine Blomfield from St Johns, Worcester, with her daughter Megan Blomfield, who may be related to Richard III. Pic Jonathan Barry 19.1.15 0415801801 (16497069)
First published Wednesday 21 January 2015 in News
Delving into the past can reveal some unwanted skeletons in the cupboard – murdering ancestors, illegitimate relatives or those deported to the Antipodes to name but a few.
But a spot of genealogy has revealed that the members of a Worcester family are very happy to shout about a number of their ancestors. They discovered they may be connected to blue blood and several upstanding members of 19th and 20th century London society.
Alan Blomfield, his wife Elaine and their 14-year-old daughter Megan, from Greathouse Road, Worcester, were delighted to discover they could be connected to the 15th century English king Richard III.
The king, the last king of the House of York and the last of the Plantagenet dynasty, was killed in the Battle of Bosworth Field in 1485 and his body was buried without ceremony in Greyfriars Church, Leicester. His remains were found in August 2012 under a modern city centre car park on the site of the old church in Leicester.
Alan’s aunt Ann Lockwood, who lives in Suffolk, was doing some research into the family tree and piecing together various bits of information which traced the family back to Richard de Blonville of Normandy in 1086.
Elaine explained: “The family name varies in spelling from Blomfield to De Blunville, De Blumville and Bloomfield.
“Ann said an entry for one of our ancestors – Randolph Blonville of Gunton (1475 – 1514) – shows his wife as Constance Gurney, who, it states, was descended from Richard III.
“I was a bit shocked when I heard we could be connected to Richard III. My daughter Megan is really excited at the thought of being from a royal line. She goes to Blessed Edward Oldcorne school and is telling all her friends about the possibility of the connection.”
Ann wasn’t able to verify if the information was correct but both Blonville and Gurney families seem to have descended from Norman nobility, who came to England with William the Conqueror and it is feasible they moved in royal and aristocratic circles, added Elaine.
Other notable members of the Blomfield’s family include Thomas Blundville (1522-1606) who was a famous Elizabethan scholar, Charles James Blomfield, who was the Bishop of London from 1828-1856, Victorian architect Sir Arthur Blomfield who designed the Royal College of Music and the Law Courts situated in Fleet Street, London.
Sir Reginald Theodore Blomfield was another Victorian architect who designed country houses and a number of war memorials including the Menin Gate at Ypres.
Elaine said: “Also on the tree is Lady Sara Louisa Blomfield who was a London society hostess and Humanitarian activist in Edwardian times. She helped to found the Save the Children Fund, which has the Princess Royal as its president now.
“Her daughters were both Suffragettes and caused a scandal by staging a protest in front of the King at Buckingham Palace.”
“In most recent times my husband's great uncle owned a gold mine in Africa and guarded it with a pet tiger and his grandfather Bertram John Blomfield received a commendation for rescuing four people from the River Thames in 1917.
“I love anything to do with our family history and it would be nice to know if there is anyone else around who has any connection to the Blomfield family.
Anyone who thinks they have connections to the Blomfields can contact Elaine by e-mailing ecblomfield@gmail.com
Megan Blomfield from St Johns, Worcester, who may be related to Richard III. Pic Jonathan Barry 19.1.15 0415801805 (16497047)
Elaine Blomfield from St Johns, Worcester, with her daughter Megan Blomfield, who may be related to Richard III. Pic Jonathan Barry 19.1.15 0415801802 (16497076)
Elaine Blomfield from St Johns, Worcester, with her daughter Megan Blomfield, who may be related to Richard III. Pic Jonathan Barry 19.1.15 0415801801 (16497069)
First published Wednesday 21 January 2015 in News
Delving into the past can reveal some unwanted skeletons in the cupboard – murdering ancestors, illegitimate relatives or those deported to the Antipodes to name but a few.
But a spot of genealogy has revealed that the members of a Worcester family are very happy to shout about a number of their ancestors. They discovered they may be connected to blue blood and several upstanding members of 19th and 20th century London society.
Alan Blomfield, his wife Elaine and their 14-year-old daughter Megan, from Greathouse Road, Worcester, were delighted to discover they could be connected to the 15th century English king Richard III.
The king, the last king of the House of York and the last of the Plantagenet dynasty, was killed in the Battle of Bosworth Field in 1485 and his body was buried without ceremony in Greyfriars Church, Leicester. His remains were found in August 2012 under a modern city centre car park on the site of the old church in Leicester.
Alan’s aunt Ann Lockwood, who lives in Suffolk, was doing some research into the family tree and piecing together various bits of information which traced the family back to Richard de Blonville of Normandy in 1086.
Elaine explained: “The family name varies in spelling from Blomfield to De Blunville, De Blumville and Bloomfield.
“Ann said an entry for one of our ancestors – Randolph Blonville of Gunton (1475 – 1514) – shows his wife as Constance Gurney, who, it states, was descended from Richard III.
“I was a bit shocked when I heard we could be connected to Richard III. My daughter Megan is really excited at the thought of being from a royal line. She goes to Blessed Edward Oldcorne school and is telling all her friends about the possibility of the connection.”
Ann wasn’t able to verify if the information was correct but both Blonville and Gurney families seem to have descended from Norman nobility, who came to England with William the Conqueror and it is feasible they moved in royal and aristocratic circles, added Elaine.
Other notable members of the Blomfield’s family include Thomas Blundville (1522-1606) who was a famous Elizabethan scholar, Charles James Blomfield, who was the Bishop of London from 1828-1856, Victorian architect Sir Arthur Blomfield who designed the Royal College of Music and the Law Courts situated in Fleet Street, London.
Sir Reginald Theodore Blomfield was another Victorian architect who designed country houses and a number of war memorials including the Menin Gate at Ypres.
Elaine said: “Also on the tree is Lady Sara Louisa Blomfield who was a London society hostess and Humanitarian activist in Edwardian times. She helped to found the Save the Children Fund, which has the Princess Royal as its president now.
“Her daughters were both Suffragettes and caused a scandal by staging a protest in front of the King at Buckingham Palace.”
“In most recent times my husband's great uncle owned a gold mine in Africa and guarded it with a pet tiger and his grandfather Bertram John Blomfield received a commendation for rescuing four people from the River Thames in 1917.
“I love anything to do with our family history and it would be nice to know if there is anyone else around who has any connection to the Blomfield family.
Anyone who thinks they have connections to the Blomfields can contact Elaine by e-mailing ecblomfield@gmail.com
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