Dowdeswell Manor

i am not familiar with the area, but a Records office may be able to help you. 

hopefully, someone else will come to your rescue tomorrow morning maybe.

You do have the right Dowdeswell Manor? i have found quite a few in the UK. I'll be in that area in three weeks, i can spend a day digging up info if it is the riight Dowdeswell Manor. Any details, or names?

Interesting. The information I have is what I have posted. I will ask my friend if he has names attached with his information. I don't know if the spelling was changed when his family emigrated here in the 1700s.

 As I know, I will update. Thanks for the help.

Immense struggle to get registered, complicated and pointless password protocols... never mind.

Hi Nicole

Dowdeswell Manor is located in Gloucestershire, England. It is about 7 miles from Cheltenham. The nearest larger village is Andoversford.

My stepfather's family, the Bridgemans, owned the manor and hamlet (15 cottages) of Upper Dowdeswell According to a stone above the front door the manor dates from 1493

(For some reason this window is now refusing to accept full stops, but I'll soldier on)

There is a Lower Dowdeswell, formerly connected by a tunnel! Lower Dowdeswell was owned by Lord Justice NIgel Bridge, who notoriously gaoled the 'Birmingham Six', later acquitted after lengthy appeals

Cousins of the Earls of Bradford, the family acquired the estate after WW11 On the death of my stepfather's mother, Alice Bridgeman (nee Kleinwort) the estate was sold in the 1980s to a developer and the house split into five 'units'

So, sadly, I never inherited it!

 saxon" people assoicated with northern England...they oringally were said in part from Frankish lineages.. The first association I have with them in battle over there was at Hastings. Those that said that they were merchants in Virginia came to Philadelphia and then to Augusta county, Va were not Irish necessarily...just that Ireland was an port that many that didn't have the money... took work at paying passage... to get to Colonal america in the early days. By then the Lawson's as Plantagent family though had taken over (Ireland) Dublin and resided in the Castle there. There they formed another mos tunfotunate branch of the Plantagent family callled "Clarence". they murdered most everyone of George Plangent's family in the War of Roses. The family thereafter never again went by the surname of Planagent...they took the Lawson name from thomas of Antwerp...and later from Thomas Lewisson/Lawson.From there one the entire legacy is fairly well known and on line and documented from Rowland Lawson.  They were supporters of Lewes Priory(amoung others)...Thomas was an well known Reverand...I think from what I've read he helped to build Canterbury Cathederal at one time also. Also see his son, Rev. Doedate Lawson, who was Reverand of the same church that later on saw the Salem, Massachuestts "witch trial"...take my word for it he had nothing to do with "witches" but he may of with the Benguine Women's movement, unmarried royal daughters and  widows of the Templar Knights. Do remember that the Planagant family started the Templar Knights in France...from the Piory of Scion... and carried it into England with the Crusades...and the Royal lineages. In Jerusalem, to the Frankish and Carolina legacy they intermarried with the bloodline family of Jesus and later took it to France and England..Scotland as "Templar Knights" and into America...ending up as the Masonic Lodge. It is said that he disliked Cotton Matter, an Puritan Preacher at the time that "making an name" for himself...pressing the witch hunt and left the Boston area because of him. I traveled to Colonial Willamsburg, Virgina and showed them an grave I think is the Rev. Doedate grave at Bruton Parish Church. There are but an few intials left on the grave marker now,,,but enough it fits in perfectly with his name. I know his father was said Thomas but there are many Thomas Lawson back then....and one was killed with his wife there in the first Indian raid on the Jamestown area by the Indians. Nearly everyone at Bruton Parish has kindhsip with the founding fathers of New England, and Boston in particular....and are in-laws of quite famous people. Also see "Sir John Lawson" also. 

Great, well, thanks Mr or Ms Lawson, this thread is about Dowdeswell Manor in Gloucestershire, England -  not about the unconnected Lawson family of Virginia and the Knights Templar, but I'm sure it's very interesting nonetheless.

You mention the Saxons, there is a myth that Dowdeswell and an even smaller settlement nearby called Owdeswell got their names from two Saxon farmers called Dodo and Odo, who owned a disputed well.

We looked for the tunnel for many years and never found it. The story was that it had been made by monks and ran to a nearby convent, but more prosaically it probably was an escape route for Catholic recusants. However, while the house was being converted by the developer in the 1980s a tunnel was discovered, leading from the rear. To ensure public safety, I understand, lest the weight of history caused it to collapse (joke) it was demolished. 

PI

I am sorry for that Paul...we are kin to the Bradford family over here...have you ever heard of Dowesell, Virgnia...it is unique because its one of the areas that they are doing an show on right now in decoding the Declaration of Independence with an book from William Sherman and the and man that claims this area is sporting an possible 350 million dollars worth of treasure...but it is also an area of John Lawson family from England. I won't tell you any more as I was hoping maybe you could add more information about the whole subject in general if the information was given to you. I am an historian..have been for better then 35 years over here...we tend not to see individual families as we do the whole story of them in general..so beg my forgiveness in the" intrusion" of your family...was only trying to help. You might want to try Paul Hilton's help. Take not that the John Lawson family in England sports the "Ingles" family with them...at thier residence... and in their legacy papers...though I understand the "Ingram" family are more German stock. My Read family kin of Benjamin Franklin went to Bucks country...where there is the HIstorial Ingram house there...I have an picture of it...our family were "Quakers" as you know...and came over with William Penn's ship called the Welcome...they also have influences with the Native Americans. My hubby's great grandmother was held captive for an while by them. The Lawson orphans were taken in by Col. John Smith family, see Chaulkley's court records of Augusta Co., Va....whom was killed at Fort Vause by the Indians when they over came it.  You might want to check out the frontiersman "Jim Bridger" family and see if they left an legacy...he was quite famous. Sorry if I got your dander up about everyone else in name...but my specialty is people that traveled together...as they often married nieghbors back then. retired these days myself. I just wanted you to know that because they came from an ship from an certain port...does not mean that is thier nationality necessarily...you will often see that happening with those legacies here in Colonial America.My book says that those of German descendent originally came to Lancaster Co, Pennsylvania in the early 1700's from an place called Schreiaheim, Germany...or that vicinity. There are also the Morvarian Brethen traveling with them..which started out an group of missionary men more ot less....and an group from Switzerland. By the time they settled Augusta county, Virginia..they also included the Scot-Irish and English. I leave you alone now.

Only "dodo" I know is the Reverand Doedate Lawson, son of the Rev. Thomas Lawson....I would guess being the son to Thomas Lewesson, and son of Thomas of Antwerp....son of King Edward III...my mother's name was "Dorothy" and I can't find any namesakes of that in her family but I sure can "Dorothea" in the Lawson's and particualry in Scotland...our family long time Masonic Lodge memebers. Go look up Saint Dorothea. Whose worship of "God"..as an Christain... saw her by an Roman offical brutally raped and then killed.

William Lawson married an Dorothy Constable according to the "Whose who in the Tudor Court"..of Henry VII's daughters...and we have both the same two names in early Colonial America(Maryland)...everyone is asking..where did they go to and who were they?...maybe one of the son's of John Lawson married into the Howard family? I don' t know about you...but I find the name of "Doedate" kind of different. The name of ODO was an very early one in German "Frankish" ruler names whose legacy goes into FRance  with Charlemagne...and helps to  form the "Templar Knights" from the Rosey Cross or the Priory of Scion

I didn't have an little girl...but had I she would of been named Dory Kay Mary...after the grandmothers on both sides..hubby's grandmother was Mary Elizabeth Anglen (Ingles)...said the woman captive by the Indians. It never happened.though... I've raised several belonging to others and several little girls have an part of my name of "Kay" for an middle name after me now. Had I, she would of looked very much like Kate Middleton though, who i sLarkins related over here...which I am so fond of keeping an eye on her these days. The name of "Dory" of course would been after the Ship captains in  the family on all sides(Sir John Lawson, admiral of his majesties Navie"...as well as my mother...Dorothy".Perhaps even the Capt Edward Dorsey of Maryland fame who wife was an daughter of John Larkin..I don't think I'd want a daughter to grow up in today's world.... from what I see of it here lately. I suppose there's always "hope" though.... My first name is "Shirley" and a alteration of "Shire".. the English name for the people in early England days in towns and villages....and an promise in the Bible.... to one day see Jesus return. My bible and old one given to me many years ago in church.. the last of words amoung Revelations says...I surely come...for I am the Alpha and the Omega..the first and the last. Kay is an early for adapation of the word "KA"... means "thee" as in Kaballa or bible meaning .."The Word"...being that of God. Someday... we all go to see the divine realms hopefully. Now I leave you alone...happy searching.