Below is some of the evidence which, I believe, supports the existence of an unbroken chain of Norfolks leading all the way from Martin de Norfolk in the 13th century to me and my immediate family. Updating, researching and verifying this information is a continuous project and I very much welcome any additions, amendments, corrections or comments you may have. Please email me using the Contact Form.
N.B. All information concerning generations 1-14 has been supplied by a relative of mine called RWS Norfolk O.B.E. M.B.E. (1913-1996), who was deputy Lieutenant of East Yorkshire in 1962 and of Humberside in 1975. His book “An account of the Yorkshire branch of the Norfolk family, part 1: 1240-1470” is in the archives of the Yorkshire Archaeological Society, and his later book “The Norfolks of Naburn in the East Riding of Yorkshire and their Descendants”, which chronicles the Norfolk family from 1240 until the present and includes all information from the previous book, is currently in my possession, having been lent to me by Roger Raimes, churchwarden at Acaster Malbis, to whom it was given by the author.
All information concerning generations 15-22 has been supplied by me, following research at the Borthwick Institute, York, the use of many freely available internet genealogy websites, the help of family members and my own personal knowledge.
Generation 1: Martin de Norfolk
Calendar Patent Roll 4th May 1245: Mandate to Martin de Norfolk, Robert Clervall and Thomas le Graunt to admit Thomas Gra as fellow keeper of the King's works in the castle of York in the place of Hugh de Seleby whom the King has absolved from that duty.
Drake's "Eboracum" page 359 records his appointment as Bailiff of York. Yorks Arch. Record Series xcii p157 recordsthat around 1258 he was Mayor of York.
Generation 2: Nicholas de Norfolk
In Calendar Patent Roll 22nd August 1316 page 535 there is the phrase "Protection with clause nolumus" to many people including Nicholas, son of Martin de Northfolk of Naburn. (Martin held land at a place called Fulmose in Naburn - Yorks Arch. Soc. Journal xvii p104 & 105).
Yorks Arch. Record Series xxi - "Lay Subsidies 1301-1302" shows him being assessed at 12s for the subsidy of 1/15th of his holding in Naburn.
Generation 3: Thomas de Norfolk
On 20th October 1319 Thomas de Norfolk was granted a licence to establish a chantry in St Mary's Church, Castlegate, York in honour of his parents Nicholas de Northfolk and Elene - Calendar Patent Roll 20th October 1319.
In 1302/3 he acted as Herald for the King (Edward I) in Scotland. While in Dunfermline he accidentally killed his brother, Richard. In Dunfermline he was granted a Royal Pardon for this because of his services to the King in Scotland - Calendar Patent Roll 10th November 1303.
Generation 4: John de Norfolk
Eldest son of Thomas de Norfolk, his name appears in 1349, 1358 and 1359 on the list of Cantarists at the family chantry founded by his father in St Mary's Church, Castlegate, York - Drake's "Eboracum" p285.
In 1359, John de Norfolk Esquire was awarde 25 marks for going to Calais on the Prince's business - Black Prince's Register Part IV p280.
In September 1380 John of Gaunt was in York and while he was there, John de Norfolk acted as clerk to the Duke's Privy Purse - John of Gaunt's Register 1/132.
He had three sons, Nicholas de Norfolk, Thomas de Norfolk and William de Norfolk.
Generation 5: Nicholas Northfolk
Eldest son of John de Norfolk, he appears in 1383 on the list of Cantarists at the family chantry. He owned the family estates at Naburn and witnessed or was party to land transactions there in 1380, 1381, 1382, 1397, 1408 and 1412 - Humberside County Record Office, Palmes Family Papers.
Nicholas died in 1420 and was buried in Holy Trinity Church, Acaster Malbis (the parish church for Naburn). His tombstone is there still, complete with armorials and a Latin inscription which reads " Pray for the soul of Nicholas Northfolk, armiger, who died in the month of December 1420 and Elene, his wife, upon whose souls may God have mercy".
Generation 6: John Northfolk
Nicholas Northfolk had two sons, Thomas and John. Thomas died overseas around 1421 leaving a widow, Agnes and two daughters, Katherine and Joan. A document preserved in York City Archives dated 11th March 1427 - York Memorandum Book p108 - shows Thomas being referred to as the son of Nicholas Northfolk of Naburn and also speaks of Thomas's daughters, Katherine and Joan. John is named as her husband's brother (and, therefore, also the son of Nicholas Northfolke) by Agnes, widow of Thomas, when she instigates proceedings against John for having her ousted from her land and property following her husband's death and taking the two daughters, Katherine and Joan, away from her. Her plea to the Archbishop of York is found in the Public Record Office, Early Chancery Proceedings, Entry 70, Bundle 7.
John Norfolk married Elizabeth Manston (sister of Alveredo Manston) and, as the brother in law of Alveredo Manston he was a witness when the manor of Manston, near Leeds, was sold in 1432. John Norfolk had two sons: Alveredo Norfolk and Robert Norfolk.
Generation 7: Robert Norfolk
His coat of arms is recorded in Harleian MS 2169 and is the same as that on his grandfather's tomb in Acaster Malbis church.
When Alveredo Manston died in 1439, he left bequests in his Will for his sister Elizabeth and her children Alveredo Norfolk and Robert Norfolk - Surtees Society, Testamenta Ebor, Vol 30 p73. The Will was dated 6th June 1439.
Robert Norfolk had two sons: William Norfolk and Thomas Norfolk.
Generation 8: Thomas Norfolk
Thomas Norfolk was named in the Will of his brother, William Norfolk, who was the Vicar at Stillingfleet (approximately three miles from Naburn in the Ainsty of the city of York). This Will was proved at York in in 1527 (York Wills Consistory II 1316-1822, Vol 27, Folio 160).
Thomas Norfolk had two sons: John Norfolk and William Norfolk.
Generation 9: John Norfolk
Lived as a farmer at Stillingfleet. His Will was proved at York in 1558 (York Registry Vol 15 Pt 3, Folio 159). He had six children including three sons: Bartilmewe Norfolk, Peter Norfolk and Richard Norfolk.
Generation 10: Richard Norfolk
Lived at Goldsborough, near Knaresborough. Had three sons: Richard Norfolk, Christopher Norfolk and Denis Norfolk.
Generation 11: Denis Norfolk
Lived at Goldsborough. In 1584 he married Anne, daughter of John Marshall of Bilton in Ainsty (Bilton Parish Register). They had two sons: John Norfolk and Christopher Norfolk.
Generation 12: John Norfolk
Lived at Rufforth in the Ainsty of the city of York. Farmer. Was churchwarden at Rufforth in 1630 and was buried there in 1661 (Rufforth Parish Register). His Will is dated 22nd September 1661 and was proved at York on 21st October 1662. He married Dorothy Civson of Stillingfleet who died in Rufforth in 1662. Both of his children - John Norfolk and Christopher Norfolk - are named in their father's Will.
Generation 13: John Norfolk
Of Rufforth and Copmanthorpe. Buried in the parish of St Mary Bishophill Junior on 6th July 1695. John Norfolk married Alice Carbutt at Rufforth on 26th May 1662. They had nine children, all baptised at Rufforth: Ellen, John, Thomas, Robert, Elizabeth, Anne, Mary, Katherine and Christopher. Above details in Parish Registers.
Generation 14: Christopher Norfolk
Baptised at Rufforth 11th April 1681, buried 7th Novemver 1759 in Copmanthorpe. Married firstly Helen Bewley on 9th December 1707 at Micklegate, York, and had two children, Christopher and Alice. He subsequently married Hannah Booth on 6th September 1720 - Archbishop of York's Marriage Bonds and Allegations, 1715-1734 - and had four more children, Richard, Ellenor, Hannah and John. Records of his marriages and the baptisms of his children are found in the appropriate Parish Registers.
Generation 15: Richard Norfolk
Baptised 4th September 1721 at St Mary Bishophill Junior and buried at St Giles Church, Copmanthorpe on 31st January 1795. He married Mary Dickinson - York Marriage Bonds 1750-1764 entry for 4th November 1752. Mary was also buried in Copmanthorpe, in 1792. Richard Norfolk was a farmer and also churchwarden at St Giles Church. He had four children, Thomas, Christopher, Hannah and Ellin. Their baptisms are recorded in the Parish Registers of St Mary Bishophill Junior and, from 1759 onwards, in Copmanthorpe Parish Register.
Generation 16: Thomas Norfolk
Baptised at St Mary Bishophill Junior on 3rd March 1754. Mentioned in his father's Will of 1795. Married Ann Wardell on 26th November 1793 at St Mary Bishophill Junior. They had three children, Mary, John and James.
Generation 17: John Norfolk
John Norfolk was baptised 19th March 1799 at Wigginton. Wigginton Parish Register records his birth and baptism and says his father was " Thomas Norfolk, son of Richard Norfolk late of Copmanthorpe by Mary, his wife". John's mother is named as Ann Wardell.
John Norfolk married Priscilla Dobson at Hensall, near Snaith, in 1825 and they had eight children: Priscilla, William, Ellen, John, Thomas, Nathaniel, James and Francis (Snaith Parish Register). Pollington (near Hensall) Census records for 1851 and 1871 record John Norfolk as having been born in Wigginton, York.
Generation 18: Nathaniel Norfolk
Born in Hensall in 1833 and died in Pollington in 1908. He married Mary Ann Dobson in Pollington on 26th July 1860 and had three children, James, Hannah and John William. They are all recorded together in the Pollington Census of 1871.
Generation 19: James Norfolk
James Norfolk was born 6th September 1862 (Birth Certificate). Also, Army Discharge Papers show that when he joined the army on 18th January 1886 he was aged 23 years and 4 months. He married Emily Arnold 19th January 1892 in Snaith and they had six children: Beatrice, Walter, William, James, Wilfred and Joseph. His Death Certificate shows that he died on 7th October 1913.
Generation 20: Walter Norfolk
My grandfather. Born 18th September 1895 and the birth was registered at Lofthouse, near Wakefield. Married Eleanor Green in Sheffield in 1919 and they had three children: Margaret, Constance and Raymond Walter. He died in October 1960 aged 65 and was cremated at Pontefract.
Generation 21: Raymond Walter Norfolk
My father. Born in Great Houghton on 9th April 1929, died in Pontefract on 7th February 1995 aged 65. Married Nellie in April 1951 and had for children, all sons: Derek, Steven, Keith and David.
Generation 22: Steven Norfolk
Me, born September 1953.