Usher
The family research takes the Usher line back to 1772'ish with a William Usher who marries in Great Ayton 1795 and then moves to Loftus although it is believed he earlier marries in Lythe, Whitby in 1790. Also a record exists of a link and potential ownership or management (tenant) of a farm at Hawsker based on an advert for a tenant in 1809. The line of Usher's starts with William, then George, William, Francis, John Edward. The respective wives are Elizabeth Scott, Elizabeth Ross, Mary Jane Kinnersley,Martha Hawksfield and Ethel Jackson and span the period 1795 to 1929.
The research also has branched out and looked at Uncles and Aunts, Cousins and distant relatives. The main branched research has been on the Hawksfield connection based on the marriage of Francis and Martha.
Origin and Related to Royalty
The Usher's - The Nevil's (Midland Knights)
John Nevil was believed to have served as 'usher' to Prince John, ushering people into the presence of John. John le or de Ussher, 1302 was appointed constable of Dublin Castle under Edward I and continued under Edward II. The family is believe to have come from the North of England and changed the name from Nevil to Ussher, to describe the occupation engage in.
The Buchannan's - Robert the Bruce
The family has been traced back to Duncan Buchannan of Miltoun in Glen Urquhart and the matriculation of arms in both 1672 and 1872. The first was by Patrick of Miltoun, son of Duncan and the second by George of Whitby. The family is descended from "Maurice, whose son was the teasurer to the dauphiness of France in the reign of King James I of Scotland." This connection links back to the Earl of Lennox and through marriage the Stewart line. The connection ultimately links back to "Robert the Bruce".
The link back to the Buchannan's is through Martha Hawksfield, wife of Francis Usher, whose grandmother was Esther Buchannan. Esther, who married William Hawksfield, had parents Peter Buchannan and Alice Richardson. Peter Buchannan left Skye and moved to Lythe, just outside Whitby. See Seperate section with extracts from the "Book of Buchannans".
Where did the family originate?
The research has recorded Ushers back to the marriage 22nd November 1795 of William Usher and Elizabeth Scott in Great Ayton. The only birth of a William Usher found is in 1772 in North Cave, near Hull but there is nothing concrete to make the association. Usher's are recorded in both Great Ayton and North Cave.