Northumberland, England
Northumberland
lies in the north of England along the border with Scotland. From
Newcastle upon Tyne, Northumberland extends about forty-five miles inland
to the west at its widest and then narrows toward Berwick-upon-Tweed at
the northernmost point, and has about sixty-four miles of coastline on the
North Sea. It has exchanged hands between Scotland and England following
many wars, but has remained inside Britain's border since the Treaty of
York in 1237 A.D. Most of the county lies north of Hadrian's Wall which
was constructed by the Romans during their occupation in the second
century.(1)
Before the Norman Conquest, a united England was ruled by Alfred the Great
in 849 A.D. For the next 165 years, twelve Saxon and Danish monarchs ruled
England until the time of Harold Godwinson, who had succeeded Edward the
Confessor in 1066 following Edward's death without an heir. But Harold
ruled for only ten months before he was killed in the Battle of Hastings
during the first wave of Norman invaders led by William the Conqueror.
Since around the seventh century, Northumbria, or Northumberland, has made up the northernmost county
in England. According to Wikipedia, the name "Northumberland" comes from
the Old English "Norpan-Hymbre", meaning "people or province north of the
Humber". Almost exclusively rural, much of Northumberland is farmland and
coal mines, as well as a protected national park. All of Northumberland
was frequently disputed between England and Scotland. It is the least
populated county in England, but due to its border with Scotland,
possesses the greatest number of castles than any other English county. It
is there where the Ogle family's stories began.
Around the time of the Norman Conquest, a man named Humphrey de Ogle (or
"Hoggel") had erected a manor house near Whalton. William the Conqueror
later allowed Humphrey to keep his manor and land after the end of the
war. From that time, the Ogle families spread throughout Northumberland
and controlled several baronies for centuries. It bears repeating that the
Ogle family didn't start with Humphrey, but the Ogle name was evolving at
the time.
Humphrey Hoggel, before 1055 to ca 1125, 1st generation of record:
Life in the eleventh and twelfth centuries in northern England was
chaotic. Wars between England and Scotland over the sovereignty of
Northumberland were frequent, and after centuries of Viking raids the rule
of the new Norman crown was heavy-handed. The Normans marched across
England and built fortified castles in their wake to maintain their
dominance over the populace and would-be invaders. Many Anglo-Saxon barons
lost their land to William the Conqueror's cronies.
The earliest known Ogle was Humphrey Hoggel, who around 1080 was given the
rights to his own land by deed from William the Conqueror. It is fairly
certain that Humphrey was the resident of the land prior to the Conquest,
and that his family heritage was not Norman, but most likely
Scandinavian.(2)
Ogle manor was situated in Northumberland, England, in a village bearing
its name, near the town of Whalton. Humphrey Hoggel, Esquire was born
prior to 1055 and was the owner of Ogle manor prior to the Conquest. After
the war, unlike many other Saxons, he was bestowed all rights to his
lands, including heirs and assigns. William the Conqueror had seated
Walter fitz William as the baron of Whalton, who, in turn conferred to
Humphrey de Ogle, the rights to his own land, as was witnessed be William
de Merley, Richard Bertram, and others.(2) According to many histories,
this Humphrey Hoggel is the most likely common ancestor of England's Ogle
families.
Humphrey de Ogle, 1085-1155, 2nd generation:
Humphrey de Ogle, son of Humphrey Hoggel, described in some accounts "A
distinguished man", was born about 1085. In "Ogle and Bothal", Henry A.
Ogle wrote that the original walls of St. Andrews Church in Bothal held an
inscription detailing the barony of Bothal, stating that "Walter fitz
William came into England with William the Conqueror, who gave him the
barony of Whalton, and the said Walter, by his deed without date, granted
to Humphrey de Ogle aforesaid all such lands and liberties, as he or any
of his predecessors had before the comiing of the Normans into
England".(2)
The name of Humphrey's wife may have been Isabella. His children were
Gilbert de Ogle, born in 1125 and heir to the Ogle estate, and Robert
Ogle, birth date unknown.
(1)
Wikipedia,
"Northumberland"
(2) "Ogle and Bothal", Sir Henry A. Ogle, 1902, source: familysearch.org
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints