The French knight

My great-great-great grandfather on my mother’s side was Joseph Haydon Starie. He was christened in London in 1808 and the record shows his father Thomas Starie and mother Mary. Mary’s maiden name was not recorded. I’m assuming it was Haydon, Joseph’s second name. To verify that his mother was Mary Haydon I need to visit archives in London to find evidence.

The Haydon family line is interesting because the story is that they are descendants of a French knight called William de Cardon. He fought with William the Conqueror when the Normans attacked England and won in the Battle of Hastings in 1066.

Knight de Cardon was handsomely rewarded for his war efforts being given land in Norfolk. The place became known as Heydon where Heydon Hall stand today.

A branch of the Heydon family moved to Devon where the name became Haydon. Mary Haydon was born in Tiverton, Devon.

William de Cardon’s ancestors go back to the Swedish and Danish royal families so there is more of interest to research and write about.