![Engraving of Tickhill castle](img/Tickhill%20Castle%201737%20colour2.jpg)
The castle at Tickhill. The Elvidges are thought to have lived in the area since early Tudor times
The castle at Tickhill. The Elvidges are thought to have lived in the area since early Tudor times
Liz is descended from the Elvidges via Doris Mary Elvidge, 1915-2003, her maternal grandmother.
Elvidge is a corruption of Elwess, which might have been a place name. The Domesday Book lists hamlets called Aelfhag in Nottinghamshire and Elfeg in Derbyshire.
The bleak but beautiful shore at Freiston near Boston, where the Elvidges once lived. Picture: Janine Moore/Baldhiker
The Elvidges appear to have lived in two hamlets with similar names: Frieston and Freiston. The communities are actually 40 miles apart. Frieston is west of Sleaford, Lincs, while Freiston is on the coast, east of Boston.
Our own research took this line back to Henry Elvidge and Ann Beaman, who married in 1817 in Eagle, Lincolnshire. Using Ancestry member trees (we still need to check others’ work) means we can trace back to John Elwess, born in 1507. His son Thomas was born in Wadworth, Yorkshire.
The Elvidge family appears to have lived within 20 miles of Wadworth for at least 500 years. We have traced our Elvidges from Wadworth/Tickhill via Collingham, Midville and Frieston/Freiston then up from Nottinghamshire to Leeds.